#cannot for the life of me remember the twins names

[pearlyboi-ofthenight]

Jin Jooha, Kang Dooshik,

Source: inkiingogo on X (Pearl Boy creator)

Pearl Boy Maturity Rating: 18+

[rosieofcorona]

A Light To Break All Shadows

Just a fluffy little Halsin x Tav fic to keep the darkness at bay. Also on AO3, if you prefer. Thank you for reading! 💕

“How long has it been since you’ve slept?”

Tav is eyeing Halsin suspiciously from the opposite end of Art’s bedside, where he’s been keeping watch over the sick man for days. At least, Halsin thinks it’s been days– perhaps three (or maybe four?) at the most. It is difficult to keep track in the Shadowlands.

At any rate, he cannot answer her immediately, which means his answer is insufficient.

“If you have to think about it,” Tav continues, “It’s been too long.”

She has a point.

He is exhausted, as they all are, but cannot bring himself to rest. They are so close– he is so close– to finding the child that will save them, to ending the hundred-year darkness, to restoring light and balance to the land. 

And Art Cullagh, ill as he is, is the key that will unlock their victory, so Halsin feels as though he must protect him every moment, must stay by his side in case he should wake, or take a turn. 

For days, he has persisted, spurred on by his stamina and willpower. For days, he has waited and watched. Now the idea of sleep falls on him like a spell. 

“It is my duty.” He protests. “I will see this through.” “You will,” she agrees, “When you wake. These people will need you in the days to come. And they will need you to be rested.”

She is playing to his sense of responsibility, he knows, but he is too tired to argue. Reluctantly, he nods his agreement. 

When he rises from his chair, it seems that all his centuries of existence catch up to him at once, his joints and muscles burning. He feels old and sore and weary as he drags himself toward an empty bed.

“Go on,” Tav commands gently. She feels like a mother nudging a child off to sleep. “Even the greatest leaders need rest.”

“Then you ought to rest yourself.”

She laughs at that, though Halsin means it. He knows so few who are so capable, so resilient, so kind. She has already accomplished so many things that he could not, not in hundreds of years of practice.

“You flatter me,” Tav smiles, but Halsin shakes his head. 

“You are extraordinary.” 

His gaze is on her when he says it, on her eyes and mouth and hands, the way her armor cleaves to her, the way her weapon rests against her hip. In another place, another time, another life, he would have had her already, would have known her inside and out if she asked him to. 

And she had asked him to, once, before they came here. He remembers. At the time he had denied her as gently as he could, in the knowledge that what was growing between them, if cultivated, could later prove a distraction, a weakness. 

But gods, he had wanted her then. He wants her still. 

Yet such urges, much like sleep, must be suppressed. At least for now.

Tav stares back at him with wide eyes until she feels a flush come over her cheeks. She turns her face away, just slightly, so that Halsin will not see. 

“Well.” She clears her throat, and redirects. “I’ll rest before we go scouting tomorrow. And I’ll watch Art while you sleep.” 

“As you say.” 

**********

In his dreams, he is back in the Shadowfell, that sunless, cursed place. 

At his feet are bodies, Harper and druid and shade alike. He knows their faces, their names, their stories. Here is Atlan, a boy from his own grove, no more than eighteen years of age. Halsin had cured him once of pox, had later mentored him in the healing arts. 

And here, Jehan the Harper, who had just received word that his wife was expecting. Twins, he’d announced, over a round of drinks at Last Light. 

And Moranna, the Selunite priestess who had blessed them again and again on their journey, had prayed over them and shielded them to the best of her ability. 

All lost to the shadows, corrupted beyond recognition. All dead, cut down by his hand. 

Halsin does his best to avoid stepping on them as he presses onward, each step a battle of its own. The weight of darkness seems to crush him, seems to drain the very life out of his body. 

His god is nowhere here. 

There comes a voice through the black night, distant, disembodied. Halsin, the shadows whisper, and whisper again, closer. Halsin. 

Wildly he turns and swings his glaive, hitting nothing, the panic rising in his throat, and–

“Halsin!” Tav exclaims, blocking a swing of his fist with her forearm. 

She is sitting at the edge of his bed looking concerned, frightened even. His skin is slicked with sweat, his breathing heavy, his body tangled in the bed linens. 

Immediately, a white-hot shame rushes over him, that he should be the one to cause her fear. 

That he should strike at her, even unconsciously, his savior, his ally. His friend, though that is too weak a word for the feeling that grows within him, wraps around his heart like wild ivy. 

“Forgive me,” he pants, “I was–” 

I was lost in the darkness, he means to say, I was frightened and alone, but the words stick in his throat like flies in honey.

Yet Tav seems to know already, a tenderness softening the furrows of her brow. Not pity, he notes. Understanding. 

She has seen equivalent horrors, has seen friends fall and foes flourish and still, and still, keeps fighting toward goodness, toward light. He aches with the thought that she might have such nightmares, that she might know firsthand how he feels now. 

But she soothes him, reaches out to wipe the sweat from his brow, her touch as light and cool as an evening breeze. 

“It’s alright,” she promises. “You don’t have to explain. You are safe here.”

Halsin lets out a breath he’s been holding for too long. It has been many years since he was last comforted, truly comforted. He is so accustomed to doing the comforting that he has almost forgotten what it feels like to be on the receiving end. 

Tenderness is no stranger to him– many of his lovers have been gentle, have been sweet– but none have ever known his burdens, none have carried them, taken them on as their own. Here is one who has, who does, who will, if he will let her. 

He takes Tav’s hand in his and guides it, flattens her palm over the rabbit-fast beat of his heart, breathing deeply, willing it to slow. He wants to say, Thank you, then, I love you, but it’s too soon, he thinks, too desperate, no matter how true. 

“Thank you,” Halsin allows, and swallows the rest. 

Tav smiles at him then, a soft, bright thing, like a single star in the night sky. The true last light in the Shadowlands. 

“Shall I stay with you?”

“Art–,” Halsin starts, but she shakes her head calmly, knowingly. “He’s sleeping soundly. Seems his bad dreams have come to visit you.”

“I do not wish to burden you with something so trivial.”

“You could not burden me,” Tav says quietly. “But I will leave, if you prefer.” 

Her thumb strokes over his chest, her hand still pressed against him. His pulse quickens again at so intimate, so innocent a touch. Halsin wonders if she can feel it.

“I prefer your presence, always. But you need your own rest.” 

“Very well.” 

Her palm slips from him as she rises to her feet, and he thinks for a moment that he’s made a mistake, has waved off her kindness, dismissed her.

Rather, she motions for him to move over and climbs slowly, wordlessly into the bed next to him. He finds himself lifting the sheets for her, inviting her in without hesitation. 

She’s changed, he realizes as she comes close, her armor cast aside for the day. Her nightclothes make her look, make her feel smaller, softer. He wants so badly to slip his hands beneath the fabric, to see how soft she is beneath. 

“Is this alright?” Tav whispers, looking earnestly into his eyes. Her fingertips flit over his cheek, brushing a lock of his hair behind his ear. “Are you alright?”

The bed is small and Halsin is not, and she is pressed against him like a flower between the pages of a book. He can only nod. 

“I will rest here then, with you.”

In the gentlest act he can or will ever remember, she leans forward and kisses his eyes as if bestowing a blessing upon them, a ward against the darkness.

**********

Halsin wakes again in near-total silence, save the gentle inhale-exhale of Tav’s breathing beside him. He doesn’t know how much time has passed, and for the first time in a long time, doesn’t mind. 

Instead, he is aware of how peaceful he feels in this moment, sheltered from the dangers beyond the inn, aware that at one point or another he had let go of his worry and settled deep into dreaming. The earlier tension in his muscles has melted into a tired ache, as if he is returning from a very long walk in the Grove. 

And she is here, wrapped in his arms. A light to break all shadows.

He can’t be sure when it happened. The shift had been imperceptible, like the feeling of falling asleep, or falling in love.

[unemployedhockeyfan]

Not All Breakups Are Equal

Summary: Lando and Eloise, two best friends. They'd been there for one another for as long as they could remember. But, just a few short weeks change everything.

Warnings: angst I guess

Notes: Hi! This is a first for me, so please share your feedback!! Let me know if you want a part 2!!

[1.4k]

This was not how it was supposed to end. 

We were supposed to be friends until our dying breaths. If I let my true imagination wander, it wouldn’t have ended just like that either. If I was honest with myself early on, he would have been the man I saw as I walked down the aisle. 

But here we are in his way-too expensive Monaco apartment. 

“Eloise, I don’t understand why you are so pressed about this,” Lando shouted in my direction. 

The issue was nearly nonexistent three weeks ago. Lando, my best friend, had been seeing a new girl. I had tried my best to try and get to know her — it is what I always did when a new woman entered his life. 

The key is that I tried. She didn’t want any part in being my friend. Only a few days after I had met the new fling, I found out what she had to say about me. 

None of it was good. Honestly, most of it was vile. She’s so fake. She’s just jealous because he will never look at her like that. He just pities her. I’ll make him forget her name. 

As my mind continues to be clouded by what my best friend’s new girlfriend thinks of me, I’m thrust back into reality. Lando and I are shouting at each other — something we never used to do. Really, this may be the first time it’s ever happened. 

Max, a mutual friend to both of us, is sitting awkwardly on the couch. He clearly wishes he was anywhere but this apartment. I can only imagine what Lando’s neighbors are thinking at this moment. 

“How could I not care, Lando?” I yelled back.

“She was joking,” Lando responded. 

This wasn’t a joke. A joke is between friends. A joke isn't supposed to leave you crying on the bathroom floor. 

A joke isn’t supposed to end a friendship. 

“She was not joking, Lando. She was serious. If you cannot support me, if you cannot tell her that it’s not OK to talk about me like that, I’m not sure we can be friends anymore.” 

I can’t believe those words just came out of my mouth, and by the look on Lando’s face, I don’t think he can either. 

“Eloise,” Lando said before he paused to take in my emotions. 

I felt the tears rolling down my face. I hadn’t even realized the tears had started to come. But how could they not? A 15-year friendship was only a few words away from ending. As I had made the proclamation, I glanced to my side and saw Max’s mouth agape. 

The three of us — the three musketeers — had been side-by-side-by-side for as long as I could remember. My twin brother had grown up karting with them, and while Lando and Max were friends with Rory, there was something about the three of us that clicked more. 

I watched from the sides as they grew up and chased their dreams and I watched as Lando made his Formula 1 debut. 

Along the way, I had apparently caught feelings for the British driver, too, but I’d never openly admit that. 

Max suspected it, though. 

“You can’t seriously be thinking about ending our friendship over this?”

“I don’t know, Lando. I think we’ll always be friends, but I can’t be an active participant in your life if she is too. I need to protect my own mental health.” 

Lando’s eyes were beginning to be rimmed with tears. 

I cannot believe I’m the person who’s making him cry. When he and Louisa went through their breakup and I saw how sad he was, I vowed that I would never be the reason for his tears. 

But, here we are and I’m making him cry. 

The longer I stand here in his kitchen, though, the more I start to think about it not actually being my fault. He’s the one who invited his new girlfriend into his life. She’s the one who said negative things about me. I’m just protecting myself. 

“No, Eloise, you can’t just walk out the door.”

My mind was so cluttered that I didn’t even realize I had taken steps toward his front door — that I had one hand on the doorknob. Here I was, though, a simple hand movement and step away from walking out of Lando Norris’ life. 

“I’m sorry.”

I twisted the handle, opened the door and walked out. 

I was three steps down the hallway when I heard the door slam closed. I paused, part of me hoping I’d hear his voice call out. All I wanted was for him to follow me out into the hallway and fight for me to stay. 

As I stood three feet away from his front door, it was silent. He hadn’t followed me, Lando was still in his apartment — likely gazing down at his kitchen counter with Max equally shocked sitting on the couch. 

It was silent. 

I glanced back at his apartment, willing the front door to open. It never did, so I turned back around and walked toward the elevator. 

This was it. Our friendship was over. No, our friendship was paused. I wouldn’t let it be over, at least not in my head. 

No matter how much it hurt, no matter how much sleep I lost over it, I was going to always tell myself that Lando was going to come back. I didn’t care if it was him coming back to me as a single man or if he entered my life again with the same girlfriend as long as she agreed to be kind to me. 

As I stepped out of the elevator and into the lobby of Lando’s apartment building, I braced myself for the evening chill. Before tucking my arms into my body, I wiped away the tears that seemed neverending at this point. 

Only seconds after stepping outside, I heard my name being called. 

“Eloise! Eloise! Stop, please, Eloise!” 

It wasn’t Lando, though. It was Max being the friend he always is. 

“Where are you going?”

It was a valid question, I don’t live in Monaco. Well, not officially. 

My job allows me to work remotely, so I truthfully live wherever Lando happens to be that week. That’s over now. 

“Um, I’m not really sure. I may just show up at the airport and see where I can get a flight. I just can’t be here.” 

The look on Max’s face is one I hope to never see again. I knew at that moment that Max had always known. He knew about the crush I started harboring when we were only 13 years old. 

“Eloise, I’m not going to stop you from leaving. I cannot imagine how much you’re hurting right now, but please know he does love you.”

“No, Max, don’t say that! Please, my heart can’t entertain that idea — not anymore.” 

“But he does, Eloise. He just doesn’t reali…”

“Max, stop,” I shouted to interrupt him. “Please. I need you to not say what you’re thinking. If he loved me, even if he didn’t realize it, he would never let me feel like this. Even if he wanted to still see her, he’d tell her to be kinder to me.” 

Max just stood there. He didn’t know what to say. To be honest, I didn’t really know either, but he knew enough to at least pull me into a hug. 

That’s when I lost it. The tears started flowing and it seemed like nothing would stop them. Max laid a kiss on the top of my head, he’s always been another brother to me. He gave me an extra squeeze before placing his hands on my shoulders and pushing me away slightly. 

“Just let me know where that plane ticket gets you, OK?”

“Always.” 

With that, I turned away from one of my two best friends, with the other several floors away, and began to walk. I didn’t even have my suitcase. I guess I’d have to text Max about that one because I couldn’t turn back now. 

It was just after midnight by the time I arrived at the airport — I had thankfully found an empty taxi despite the late hour. 

As I approached the counter in the airport, the employee gave me a quick glance before her eyes returned to the screen in front of her.

“May I help you?”

“I’d like to buy a ticket.”

“To where?” 

I froze, I still hadn’t thought this far. I could go home, but that would be the first place Lando looked. For as much as I wanted him to chase after me, I still didn’t want to be easy to find. 

On a whim, one place came to mind. 

“New York. New York City.” 

[themotherofhorses]

may I request some sfw headcanons about aemond with handmaid!reader? 🥺

TOTALLY i plan on eventually writing their first meeting + how they fall in love and begin their secret (not so secret) relationship but in the meantime:

some cute & fluffy headcanons of aemond targaryen with his handmaid!reader (who is basically his wife because fuck the westerosi social stratification)

his handmaid's tales | main masterlist

Okay, first, Siri pls play Woman by Doja Cat. Or, yknow, Waves of Blue by Majid Jordan.

His bed is your bed. Sure, you have your own tucked away in the servant’s quarters, in a room shared with two other maids, but you soon learn that Aemond prefers (demands) you remain by his side at all hours of the night. “What if I require my handmaid’s assistance at some random hour? No, you’ll stay with me where you belong.”

He loves for you to join him in his nighttime baths, not always with the intent to make love but for him to cradle your naked body close to his. Relaxing within the tub, soaking together in the scalding, scented waters, you and him are husband and wife.  

"I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you." "Yes, my prince, I'm very much aware." "Don't you dare ever leave my side. I will not forgive you nor this damned world if I ever lost you."

Sometimes Alicent will walk in on soft, domestic moments where he’s seated in his chair, reading to the twins while you’re folding his clothing or tidying up the bed or tending to the newest babe. It is sweet in her eyes. Her favorite child is finally happy with his little (unconventional) family.  

She can’t find it in herself to send you away. You’re no highborn lady, of course, but you’re so kind and gentle, absolutely respectful- treating her son so well and mothering her precious grandchildren. Otto, on the other hand, disapproves of the relationship a great deal, but he’ll deal with it later when the family eventually plunges itself into war. Aemond will marry but not you, he decides. But, in the meantime, he’ll allow his grandson to play with you a little bit longer.

Just your mere presence brings Aemond peace. Comfort. Relaxation. He’s so besotted with you that he cannot imagine living the rest of his life without you.

You’re the most beautiful woman, he swears. He notices the way highborn lords openly fawn over you whenever you attend royal banquets, and how their lustful gazes follow your every movement. It grew worse during your first pregnancy, as you glowed with motherhood so well you might’ve as well been the Mother walking amongst her children.  

The first pregnancy with the twins brought a level of excitement towards fatherhood that Aemond swore he thought he’d never experience. He remembers how Aegon acted when Helaena was heavy with their twins, always meeting her with a lack of interest in her health or needs or the babes. He could not understand it. Not a bit. With you, he’s desperate to keep his hold on you at every hour of the day.

If you’re tending to your duties, he’ll always remain nearby. #protectivedaddy. He’ll take the time to polish his sword, study the room, or admire the way your swelling baby bump is now beginning to poke out from underneath your servant's dress. “I did that.”   

At night, when you’re fast asleep, he’ll crawl down to lay his head on your belly. Feeling his babes’ little faint kicks against his cheek and palms reminds him that life is now worth living for. He’ll talk to the babes too, mumbling about his day and how beautiful their mother is and how he’s thrilled to soon have them. Aemond takes to fatherhood as quickly and easily as you took to being his handmaid.

The second pregnancy brings constant midnight dreams of a pretty baby girl, carrying the same features as her mother- your twinkling eyes, the slope of your nose, the cute pout that tugs at the corner of your lips. He plans on naming her after your mother and already has the dragon egg ready to place in the cradle

His uncle, Daemon, nicknames you in his head his nephew’s duckling. You’re always following after him, two steps back (a healthy distance between a supposed royal and their servant), ready to serve him if needed, hands clasped together, and pretty head bowed. You remind him of Helaena in a way, much too pure for this world.

Helaena adores you. Duh, that’s a given. And if Helaena gives you her blessing, you might as well be part of the family.

In bed, Aemond likes to caress your cheeks and stroke your bottom lip with his thumb as you sleep. It is in these moments that he genuinely believes you were created for him to find and love and worship, that the gods fashioned your existence to mold into his. He was never fated to fall in love with a highborn lady but instead his sweet handmaid, who was sent to provide him with everything he was denied during boyhood.

divider by the loml @chainsawsangel

[xythlia]

— FALSE LIFE ˎˊ˗

› ascended astarion x f! spawn tav

› word count : 2k+

› sorry but his ascended lines do something to me >.< & I finally felt brave enough to post this after my 200+ game hours (also im open to astarion requests btw :3)

warnings : mdni. compulsion. noncon elements. posessive behavior. angst ish. fingering. toxic relationship. reader has hair long enough to brush off shoulders. reader wears a revealing dress. pet names (dear, darling, little love, ect.). oral f receiving. he calls you dinner sorry lol

This is the first time he's ever done this, compelled you.

If heat could still pool beneath your skin, anger more akin to molten lava beneath the surface, surely it would have. He broke his promise to you, the small thread of security that allowed you to go along with becoming a spawn. You also want to weep, wish tears could well freely in your eyes and track down your cheeks.

But even that is denied to you. Instead you're rooted to the spot, the marble flooring devoid of any echoing footsteps and the air hanging thick with frightening anticipation.

You can't reflexively jump when his lithe fingers move your hair from your shoulders, brushing your own equally icy skin. Much of your body is routinely on display for the vampire ascendant, something else you've always swallowed your displeasure on. There is also the absence of a gasp as his hand grips the back of your neck, an odd pantomime of a mother cat carrying its kitten by the scruff.

"Tell me," he asked, "do I not give you a life of constant pleasure?"

The words slip from your mouth unbidden. "Yes."

"Haven't I made sure you want for nothing?"

Again. "Yes."

His grip tightens, forcing your head to the side a bit and you wish you could wince.

"Then why, my little love, are you so insistent on acting like an ungrateful brat?" He spits out the question, forcing you to meet his ruby gaze by turning your head himself. You've never felt more doll-like, a petulant child.

"You compelled me. Forbade me from going outside the palace bounds. It upsets me that I cannot see our friends and companions. It upsets me that you broke your promise." Your affect couldn't be flatter, a dizzying contrast to how much pain you truly felt inside, a cruel effect of compulsion.

The dining room is quiet, thick with tension as he seemingly takes in your reasoning in silence.

The laughter that bursts from his lips is harsh, not because it's forced or hollow, but because it's real, legitimate laughter. He releases you to cross his arms, chortling so much tears well in his eyes. It makes something absolutely hideous twist in your gut, watching his display as if your feelings were nothing but the realms crassest joke.

All the while you stand statuesque, frozen and seething as your lover mocks you.

"Don't be stupid, darling. You're mine, remember?" Astarion caressed your jaw, positioning himself front and center in all your senses. "Your future has been mine to decide the moment that little worm was ousted from our heads."

Your eyes catch the scar on the side of his neck, bite marks like a twin to your own. Something else inside you is dying, a slow march, and soon the Crimson Palace will be more like your mausoleum than your home.

"Yes."

"Good," he pauses, seemingly sizing you up for reasons unclear, "Sit back. On the tabletop, darling."

Your movements are automatic, body and mind completely untethered from one another in terms of control. An anxiety grips your mind, sharp fingers digging into your brain and you perch on the vast, ornate table.

"Mhm, you know, I didn't get to finish my meal since you decided to spoil dinner with your silent sulking." His smile is a wicked thing. "But I do think we should move on to dessert now anyway."

One hand slides up the revealing slit of your dress, icily fondling your flesh and slowly inching upwards before his fingers are brushing along the seam of your underwear. All you can do is remain frozen, legs spread, as if you were a plaything for him to pose and contort any way he pleased. You suppose that's all you might be now.

"How about an... even trade, of sorts? In exchange for forgiving this little trespass with no punishment, you agree not to question my decisions."

Its not fair, the answer isn't truly your own. "A deal, yes."

A contented sigh leaves him as his index finger rubs up and down your clothed cunt, but his eyes are sharp and you know it's not lost on him how damp your underwear is. When he grins again those fangs are on full display, exaggerated by the shadows cast from the flickering candlelight.

It breaks your heart that he's as beautiful as ever, that still the baser parts of you can't help but desire him.

His plush lips find yours with comfortable familiarity, the perfect genius of their synched movement a testament to how much time he's spent mapping your mouth, committing it to memory. As you slip your arms around his neck you realize the compulsion is gone, but desire keeps you rooted in place, enjoying the feeling of his wandering, groping hands.

Forcing yourself to forget for selfish pleasure is surprisingly easy, a skill you've cultivated the past few months.

You gasp into his mouth as his fingers slip past your underwear, swiping through your wetness before lazily circling your already aching clit. The stimulation makes your hips jerk, chasing his hand for more friction but his other presses firmly against your hip to keep you still.

"Don't be gluttonous dear. I'm the one who didn't get to finish my dinner." He whispers against your parted lips, trailing sloppy open mouthed kisses down the column of your throat, the exposed tops of your breasts, until he's sunk to his knees in front of you.

As he lifts the skirt of your dress you lay back against the heavy polished oak table, and if your heart could race it would be galloping out of your chest in anticipation. Thankfully Astarion doesn't keep you waiting long, he was true to his word that there was no punishment this time as he pulled down your underwear and trailed chaste kisses from your calf, your thighs, all the way to your soaked cunt as you squeezed your eyes shut.

"My delicious little treat," he murmured, his breath fanning across your skin, making you clench around nothing right before he placed a kiss to your clit.

The smallest of moans escaped you and it was enough to encourage him, tongue swiping through your arousal as his fingers prodded at your entrance. When he sucked against your clit your back arched off the table and every noise became amplified: the way you were panting, the slick slurping sounds of his mouth working against you, the squelching as two fingers slid inside you to start scissoring against your spongy walls. The cacophony was enough to make your head spin as your hands flailed downward, looking to grasp any part of him you could reach.

Grasping at his alabaster hair you cry out his name, with the same reverence one would use to call out to a god, and it only spurs him on. He groans against you as your hips start to rise, chasing the stimulation from his tongue and feeling the first embers of climax catching in your abdomen.

"Please -" tears slip down your cheeks as his fingers increase their pace, his tongue devouring you ceaselessly and you nearly choked on your own cries as your thigh muscles tense impossibly tight.

Your legs shake against his shoulders as your fingers scrape against his scalp, the embers now transformed into a roaring pyre, burning you from the inside out as the edges of your mind start to peel from the internal heat and pressure. You squirm recklessly, mouth hung open in a silent cry as your upper half rises off the table.

Slowly you lay back, struggling to control your muscle tremors and with one final kiss to your throbbing clit, that makes you yelp, Astarion pulls back, draping your skirt back in place and slipping your underwear in his pocket.

"You see, I can be quite forgiving darling. Just don't push it in the future."

[flanaganfilm]

hi mike, saw someone say your ask box was open and i came running! have you ever had any ideas as to how the crain family would be getting on now a few years later/what they're doing? it's always in the back of my mind wondering if creators also wonder about those sort of things themselves once their project has ended. thanks so much & hope you have a great day!

I do think about that. Quite a lot, actually.

The Crains took on lives of their own for me. I'd never written long form before, so it was the first time I lived with the same characters for that long, and for such extended arcs. Here's where I think they are, a few years later:

Shirley: I think that Shirley and her husband overcame her disclosure of infidelity. She'd been closed off for so long, after the series ended I think she found some peace in her life and opened herself up to her marriage. I think she also began to find kindness again. They ran the funeral home together, but Shirley found purpose in helping people handle grief and loss with empathy and kindness. Her oldest would be just about ready to start college now, and I think that would have her looking back and realizing that she always remembered her childhood as seemingly endless... but now she sees just how fast it truly goes by.

Luke: Luke stayed sober. He's six years into it now, and it's gone so well that he's also become a sponsor. That doesn't mean he's immune to the struggle, far from it. He still walks up to that edge sometimes. Oddly, it's in those moments that the "Twin Thing" kicks in... and he feels an inexplicable and complete sense of love. He knows that's Nell's, and that always pulls him back from the brink. He never did find Joey, or find out what happened to her. And sometimes he still wakes up with nightmares that he's on the floor of the Red Room, or that Joey visits him with her runny-egg eyes. But no matter how hard it gets, he feels what Nell feels for him... and that always pulls him through.

Theo: Theo and Trish got married, and moved far away from New England. They currently live in Portland. She still works with children, but enjoys a much smaller patient pool. She specializes in the kids who are hardest to reach, and she's sought after for her unique and uncanny ability to connect with them. She doesn't wear gloves anymore, but she still avoids the very crowded places. She and Trish take long hikes, grow their own pot, and travel frequently and spontaneously. They're considering a surrogate... and if it's a girl, they're going to name her Eleanor.

Steven: Steve and Leigh have two kids, and are thinking they might stop there. He never wrote about what happened at Hill House, but he still writes. Science fiction. Leigh recommended the genre as a way for him to focus on the future, not the past. He likes it a lot. It's pulpy, but it's earnest. He maintains Hill House, as it is his responsibility, but he doesn't enter the property beyond the gates. He has a rotating collection of people service the property itself, always during the day, and only for a few hours at a time.

Hill House stands quietly and silently in the hills. There is something different about it. Still the same energy, but without the malice. Steve assumes this is because of Hugh, Nellie and Olivia, who maybe curb the most malicious energies of the house from within. While shadows still walk in the windows at night, there are no living souls there to see them. Mostly, Steven imagines the spirits inside spend most of their days sleeping. And if they cannot sleep, he imagines Mrs. Dudley singing softly to them on the wind.

There is grief, for all of them. There are nightmares. Horrible dreams of moldy rooms and phantom hands. They meet twice a year, usually without spouses, to catch up and raise a glass to Nell, and their parents. There is a lot of healing still to do, a lot of therapy, a lot of introspection. But there is peace, too. There is love. There is forgiveness.

[starberry-cupcake]

I could have just gone ahead and finished the book, but I adult life is interrupting so I stopped mid-fight and that's what you're getting, since I think it'll be a more sensible length this way.

previously, in gideon the ninth

this happened (also, this is the tag for all of the stuff)

currently, somewhere before ending the penultimate chapter, I think:

WELL, WELL, WELL

GUESS WHO WAS RIGHT ABOUT DULCINEA DEL TOBOSO SORAYA MONTENEGRO SEPTIMUS

I GOT YOU, BITCH

YOU DIDN'T GET PAST ME

ok, let's back it up a bit, but I needed to get that out of my chest for a sec

out of my guts, like the key she hid in the 5th necro bride's body

(too soon)

anyway, after yandere simulator w/inner chad left the room, gideon, harrowbean and my qp wife realized palmolive was gone

and everyone knows where he went because his dick has been a compass the whole time

or, like gideon puts it, he's been a weenie

camilla, the light in the dark, the sun to my moon, tells gideon and harrow that palmolive has been corresponding with dulcinea since he was like 8 and she was like 15 and he's been in love with her the whole time

and that he's made his lifelong purpose to save her life

there are many levels of Issues here

but at this point, we don't have time to unpack any suitcases

all this just proves to me that camilla has been carrying all the weight of the world on her shoulders even more, but anyway

they also feel confused as to why dulcinea has been ghosting palmolive massively since HE PROPOSED TO HER

palmolive, my man, my dude, just...what the fuck is your life

what are you doing, my guy

anyway, I immediately started thinking some soul possessing or some stuff like that could be going on, like she's not herself, but there's no time to theorize much

gideon feels terrible because she's been flirting with dulcinea in front of palmolive's salad all along and says something like "why do I have to be so attractive?" to which harrow answers something like "if you weren't, people would deck you after 5 minutes" which is a very good read

so gideon goes to find palmolive and he stops her with necro magic and enters dulcinea's room and outs her as the murderer

who is surprised??? not me, of course

so, basically, ducinea The Real One died at some point before arriving like protozoa, and this bitch here is a previous lyctor whose name I cannot remember so we will call her not!dulcinea

the real dulcinea was the other roasted body in the furnace

and protozoa was killed by her also which, again, the sword through the heart was a good indicator it wasn't an accident, but harrow was the only one who saw the body

non!dulcinea is a lyctor of the seventh that served the emperor and did the soul slurping thingy and already has her cav within her ("inside her" sounds...not great)

and she wanted to stir some shit up to get the man of the hour to show up and get revenge and whatnot

the emperor, coming back to canaan house from some holidays that took longer than he expected

it's not totally clear, because there's still a lot we don't know, but it sounds a bit like a toxic relationship with an authority figure

palmolive then proceeds to immolate himself like superman going super solar flare, but not being able to heal himself after, unlike superman

after that, all hell breaks loose

not!dulcinea tries to kill gideon

camilla tries to kill not!dulcinea

harrow also enters the fight and brings gideon's sword

like, the real one

you can hear the audience cheering when she catches her sword like it was filmed in front of a live studio audience

gideon and harrow team up against the mega massive monster junji ito concoction that killed isaac

they do the mind mesh thingy

harrow unlocks a new power

like in the sims

she also passes out for a bit

gideon gets her knee and shoulder fucked up

camilla is amazing and does amazing things

non!dulcinea seems to be too tough to win against

yandere simulator twin w/inner chad enters the chat

they fight like goku and vegeta for a while but non!dulcinea ends up using her like a battery

which is, to me, the revenge of duracell bunny nephew from beyond the veil or wherever he went

like, poetic cinema fate

I have no idea where regina george twin is at this point

last we saw of her, she was crying in a corner

which, mood tbh

so, where I left off for now, we've got three survivors accounted for: gideon, harrowbean and my qp wife, there's a lost twin somewhere in there and then there's yandere simulator twin being used as a charging pad by non!dulcinea

I want to take a moment to point out something, though

I want to briefly point out how MASSIVELY FUCKED UP EVERYONE WAS COMING INTO THIS

like, harrow was "oh no, we mustn't let people know you're not actually my cavalier and that I puppeteered my parents and that there's a frozen barbie in the ninth" and gideon was "oh no, I mustn't let people know I'm not a ninth cav and I don't use a rapier and I have a complicated relationship with my necro"

and everyone else LITERALLY EVERYONE ELSE WAS BEYOND FUCKED UP

maybe the second weren't because they were ignorant asshats, but EVERYONE WAS MESSED UP

NOBODY HERE WAS FINE

you got the third, with a non necro princess and a feral real necro doing the work of both and chad as their support, look how that turned out so far

the fourth, who weren't tall enough to reach the top shelf and weren't even allowed their keys

the fifth who knew too much so they were goners after throwing a party

the sixth, with a guy who had the hots for a woman twice his age that he had a grey's anatomy fantasy to save that powered his entire reason to be there (and a cav who didn't use the right equipment but is great 10/10 no notes)

the seventh, who's THIS MESS

and the eight, who were doing the creepiest thing possible at all times and couldn't even do it properly

the only ones here who came in without dirty laundry were the second and that's why they were easy targets

everyone else was shady af

the best reality show you've ever watched

anyway, see you for the next one when we'll know who wins between one old lyctor and 3 bad bitches (or 4, if yandere twin is still alive, or 5 if regina george twin shows up again)

[ingo-ingoing-ingone]

A Personal Post

Hi guys, I'm finally making the post I kept telling myself and my best friends I'd make but wanted to put it off until I felt better. That hasn't happened and with how things are going I thought it was best to just post it now.

So for a while, since probably late 2023, I've felt less like my blog is for me, and more like it's some kind of fandom archive. Which, if you use it this way as-is, great! I'm glad my blog could make you happy like that! But that's not what I set out for it to be.

I'm the sort of neurodivergent person who likes to categorize things, including my interests. All my tumblr blogs are specific to one thing, and this one was no exception.

I began tagging things soon after I made the blog because I saw a lot of people were sad about the twins, and I thought "well since I love both sad and happy stuff, and I'm really good about categorizing things, maybe I can try and help!" And according to many, it did help!

But I think that also gave off the impression that I was making this blog for other folks, and that isn't the case. I'm sorry I never clarified. It's not an archive; I do not reblog shipping posts, posts from people I've blocked, AUs I don't click with, and sometimes just not everything I see.

I've gotten popular in the fandom, and for the most part I do, from the bottom of my heart, enjoy it. I have people who care about my hyperfixation! That's amazing! I have people who love my cosplay and want to meet up with me. I've made so many friends of all shapes and sizes and it's probably the most incredible thing I've ever experienced, truth be told.

But yeah my blog being mine has gotten away from me a bit, I think.

I want to keep tagging my submas tags, that isn't going to change. I will tag triggers when asked, unless it's kind of impossible due to the blog's subject (trains, for instance) or a name or really common word (like the word 'head' or something). Other than that please reach out and I'll do my best to remember. But other tags? Those will be up to me. I don't want to tag when OCs show up. I love OCs and like seeing them, and don't want to have to remember that one person who visits my blog doesn't.

I had anon off for a while because honestly ever since making this blog, there have been anons who really made me unhappy. (Also yes, non-anons but that's been fewer and far between). I've gotten misinformation, accusations, horrible and disgusting explicit asks, and criticisms and complaints, and I'm just... Not here for that. Keep the explicit things and misinfo out of my inbox, I am no arbiter of morality or personal decisions, and I am not here for you to share your negative opinions of submas or the fandom.

Anon is on for people who are too self conscious to chat face to face, for people to send fun headcanon ideas (remember when people did that back in 2022 when this blog started? I miss that, it was sweet and wholesome), to share song recommendations... That kind of stuff. If you have an actual problem, please, PLEASE talk to me off anon, whether that be DMs or a non-anon ask that I can answer privately. Especially if we're friends; please, please just talk to me about stuff. I don't bite! I swear!

But yeah the bottom line is I'm here to participate in fun (and sometimes heartbreaking!) fandom stuff. I'm here for FUN, not as my job. I know that we're all a bunch of neurodivergent folks and sometimes interactions can be a swing and a miss, but please try to be mindful. Please treat me like a person and not just like a museum curator for this blog.

Truth is, I haven't been okay for a while now. It's gotten worse this year for sure, and due to life stuff I cannot see things feeling better for me for some time. I need to go day by day for a lot of things, and I am trying to get better about needing to set boundaries and all that sort of thing. I suffer from intense paranoia too, and having so many eyes on me is genuinely terrifying at times. I'm trying to manage that as best I can, but I do ask that folks be kind.

NO I am not going anywhere, my blog is staying and will continue on as normal, but I really, really needed to get this posted.

Please continue to interact with me and chat and everything like that! But also please remember to treat this space, my blog, as my space. Thanks for reading!

[falkarph]

DRAGON'S DOGMA 2 STARTERS

rp prompts taken from the video game dragon's dogma 2 by capcom. some have been edited.

❛ a good sleep will ensure we’re prepared for the morrow. ❜

❛ i shall go to the grave with a smile on my lips, for i have no regrets. ❜

❛ this is the second time i’ve watched over you like this, isn’t it? ❜

❛ as i understand it, 'tis boorish to speak when you’ve naught to say, so i shall hold my tongue. ❜

❛ we‘ll see each other again, you can count on that. and when we do, you’d best be ready for the fight of your life. ❜

❛ i had nearly given up on myself, yet 'twould seem i am not without talent after all! ❜

❛ i learned the words but this is the first i use them. ❜

❛ don't bring trouble to my door, you hear? ❜

❛ 'twas never my intent to deceive you. i simply feared that if i spoke the truth, none would wish to involve themselves with me. ❜

❛ i dare not enter the palace. but i would fain escort you to the castle entrance. ❜

❛ pray visit me if you’ve the time or inclination. ❜

❛ all is preordained. even my death at thy hands. ❜

❛ there’s no shortage of ne'er-do-wells out there, willing to claim their medicine the only cure that they might inflate its price. ❜

❛ what are you doing? unhand me this instant! ❜

❛ love is as twin to madness, they say. they are bound fast, as night is to day. ❜

❛ oh, unwring your hands, you fool. as if anyone in this palace would dare say a word against me. ❜

❛ i find myself on edge when you stray from my line of sight. ❜

❛ save your honeyed words, traitor! ❜

❛ you would leave one of your own to die? ❜

❛ my efforts led only to my own ruin. ❜

❛ i believe i cautioned you to keep your drunken revelry in check. ❜

❛ they say you should be thankful for your life, but simply being alive isn’t the same as living, eh? ❜

�� 'tisn‘t the first time i’ve taught an unseasoned whelp the meaning of betrayal. ❜

❛ my vision’s growing worse by the day i fear. ❜

❛ if i had but better known your heart, i could have shared in your burdens. ❜

❛ 'tis not my conscience that called me here, oh no. i simply cannot stomach acts of cowardice. ❜

❛ doesn’t seem like you and i are going to share a drink anytime soon. a shame, really. ❜

❛ and what business have you here, in the nobles' playground? ❜

❛ we’re lost, plain and simple. ❜

❛ 'twould seem my time here has reached its end. can’t say i‘m happy about it. ❜

❛ i possess no ill intent, i assure you! i merely wished for a closer look. ❜

❛ alas, though he was a just and goodly ruler, there is not a single person alive who remembers his name. ❜

❛ it can be a blessing to forget—and to be forgotten. ❜

❛ the flesh may rot, the soul, fragment. yet power—power endures. ❜

❛ no one has any care for me beyond my title. ❜

❛ another dogged adventurer, come to take my life? many have tried, and, as you can plainly see, all have failed. ❜

❛ naught can be achieved without sacrifice. ❜

❛ follow me. and, pray, take care not to fall behind. one can easily lose their way here. ❜

❛ if e'er you’re in need of a hearth to return to … then let it be mine. ❜

❛ i may be past my prime as a fighter—but i can still teach. ❜

❛ s‘pose it must make you feel a hero, seeing the person you caught yourself sitting behind bars. ❜

❛ do you think you can exact change in this world through good will alone? ❜

❛ reckon your road‘s been a long one. ❜

❛ i so hoped you’d visit. is that strange? ❜

❛ such knowledge has been known to cost a man his head. ❜

❛ shall we hunt a few monsters to start the day off? ❜

❛ the world shall not change with my death. ❜

❛ wilt thou slay me, or be slain? ❜

❛ 'twas all a farce and i the fool, exulting in my wooden crown. ❜

❛ do as you will. i care not what befalls me now. ❜

❛ i never knew how vast the sky was ere i left home. ❜

[yestrday]

Thinking about Dain being a cousin of the twins, like, he comes to their home once in a blue moon, but when he is in town he will surely invite mc to a night out or for some hanging around; and mc may accept because he is a breath of fresh air, specially with the whole academy being after them.

Of course, Dain may or not harbor the same feelings as their peers, but they don’t need to know that just yet :)!

(I DONT REMEMBER IF DAIN HAD ALREADY APPEARED IN THE ACADEMY AU SO I CAME WITH THIS IDEA IM SO SORRY (＞人＜;))

dainsleif who was a graduate of your academy too, praised for intelligence and good looks. there's no doubt he's a cousin of the twins, with that same shimmery blonde hair and their knack for academics.

after graduating, he got into a university a city over, so he barely sees his cousins anymore. aether speaks fondly of him, talking about how cool and mysterious he is. ("he's so cool, [y. name], i swear! he's got this aura that just makes you... respect.") lumine thinks highly of him too, but she tends to nitpick his flaws more than aether does. ("oh please, he might look cool, but he can barely hold a conversation without making it awkward. he's not really all that.")

dainsleif who shows up at their house impromptu for a visit. you happen to be there too, and you stare wide-eyed at the man whose face you've only seen on picture frames. he stares back at you too, because he doesn't exactly know how to act in front of a stranger.

as he stays in the city, he sees how people of your academy tend to... gravitate towards you. like, literally. after accidentally bumping into you at the grocery, he can see at least five boys from your school lurking around the corners. from that day on, he's offered to escort you whenever you're running tasks outside.

he used to just spend breaks in his dorms, but he finds himself coming back to his hometown these days. his visits come and go, sometimes he'd show up at weekends, sometimes radio silence, but he delights at the opportunity that breaks provide him with. even at his uni, he's worried sick about that little harem of yours. with him by your side, he can at least protect you even outside your school grounds.

he listens to your worries, pushes the cart while you do your groceries, covers your head with an umbrella, keep you close when walking the streets at night... everything to let you know that you will always have him to rely on. not those pesky brats who're too unhinged and obsessed without any care for your feelings. not those brats who get to spend every day and every hour with you at school, who irritate him so much his head boils at the thought of this injustice.

"sometimes i wish i were more like you," you sigh to dainsleif one day. you see it catches dain off by surprise, his eyes wide but flattered at the confession, before they slant into saddened crescents. he turns away from you, facing the gray sky.

"believe me," dain mutters. "you wouldn't want that."

"humble as always. your abilities aren't something to brush off like that."

"... not like that." he looks conflicted as he watches you carefully. his clothes ruffle and fly in the wind, complementing the troubled look in his eye. "there are thoughts within me that... i cannot suppress. thoughts that scare me to even think about. things about myself that i never knew eventually coming to life. it's horrible."

"'cause you're guilty?"

a forlorn sigh. "... because i'm not the man i wish you'd have in the end."

[mi-rae07]

can I request a mafia mingi x pregnant s/o angst :3 mingi breaks up with the reader bcs he thought she was a burden with his mafia life but he doesn’t know that she’s pregnant. Hurt me with all the angst you’ve got! but with a happy ending i beg TT

Song Mingi : Chance (Part 1/3)

Pairing : Song Mingi (Ateez) and named character (Jung Miyeon)

_____________________

Miyeon : doctor, are you sure? There's no other-

Doctor : I'm sure, miss lee. You are three weeks pregnant, with twins.

______________________

Mingi : and? Did you check the bodies properly? There was no trace left behind at all?

Jongho : none, sir. It seems as if they were all killed in one go.

Mingi : then that means there was more than just one assassin.

Jongho nodded, looking at the gruesome pictures that had been laid on mingi's desk. He was just about to say something when the door opened, revealing mingi's mother. Jongho quickly bowed down, mingi letting out a breath as he stood up and said

Mingi : eomma, I'm quite busy-

Jina : I know, I came to talk important matters with you, son.

Mingi : one that cannot be discussed at my house?

Jina : yes.

Mingi nodded and motioned jongho to step out, jongho bowing one last time before leaving the both of them alone. Mingi watched as his mother sat on the seat opposite him, a grim look on her face.

Mingi : what is it?

Jina : your father is very ill, son.

Mingi : I know that.

Jina : no, this is worse than before. Doctors say he has only another two-three more months to live.

Mingi sighed, leaning back against his chair. He was never a fan of his father, given the conditions he was brought up in. but he was still mingi's father.

Mingi : what is his last wish then, eomma.

Jina : he wishes to get you married.

Mingi : he seriously wants me to get married to miyeon-

Jina : no, not her. Another lady, a better one.

Mingi : eomma, what the hell?

Jina : I always told you this wasn't going to last, mingi. I always told you your father would want something in return for handing over this company to you.

Mingi : isn't what he's taken from me already enough?

Jina : apparently not. And son, I've seen miyeon, I've talked to her. She isn't fit for this lifestyle of yours. One day she's gonna want you to leave this field of work and you know that isn't possible. This is our-

Mingi : family line, I know.

Jina sighed, leaning forward as she said

Jina : I know you love her, but you must let her go if you truly care for her, son. You know what your father can do even if he's in the hospital. If you don't let her go, he's going to do it for you. And it will not be in a good way.

Mingi let out a breath, muttering under his breath

Mingi : get out.

Jina nodded, getting up from her seat as she said

Jina : remember what I said, son. Make sure you won't regret your decisions in the future.

Jina turned around and left, leaving a disturbed mingi behind.

__________________________

Miyeon looked up as she heard footsteps coming her way, indicating that mingi was home. She smiled and stood up, keeping her phone away as she opened her arms for mingi. He smiled, keeping his bag away before wrapping his arms around miyeon.

Miyeon : had a bad day at work?

Mingi : mm, something like that. And you?

Miyeon : it went as work always does.

Mingi hummed, nuzzling his head onto her shoulders. Miyeon bit her lip, deciding she should probably ask him what she had meant to.

Miyeon : do you ever think you'll resign your position as a mafia, mingi-ya?

Mingi stiffened in her hold, his eyes now open as he pulled back from the hug with a frown

Mingi : what?

Miyeon : you know, since it's a dangerous line of work, one day when we have children, do you think you'll give up your work and choose to do something less dangerous?

Mingi stared at miyeon as his mother's earlier words rang through his mind

"And son, I've seen miyeon, I've talked to her. She isn't fit for this lifestyle of yours. One day she's gonna want you to leave this field of work and you know that isn't possible"

His mother was right, and miyeon had already started asking.

Mingi : you know I do not really want children, yeon-ah.

Miyeon blinked her eyes, her hands clenching around mingi's shirt. Oh no, she thought.

Miyeon : like…ever?

Mingi : miyeon, what is with you. You've never asked questions like this before, why are you so suddenly interested in children?

Miyeon : no I'm just…asking for future purposes-

Mingi : no, then don't. because there will be no future for us with children. I do not want any.

Before miyeon could say anything mingi walked to the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. Miyeon's hands fell to her stomach, caressing it as she shut her eyes tightly.

God, this wasn't going the way she had expected it to.

__________________________

Miyeon stared at mingi as he ate his dinner, not having uttered a single word since he came out of that bathroom. Which was very unlike mingi, who couldn't usually keep himself from talking.

Miyeon : I'm sorry I asked.

Mingi : it doesn't really matter.

Miyeon : but-

Mingi : can we leave that matter behind, miyeon?

Miyeon : why do hate it so much, mingi-

Mingi : because it is my work! It's what my entire family has poured their entire life into and now you want me to leave it?

Miyeon : that's exactly why I want you to leave it, mingi. How many of your people have lost their lives over this work?

Mingi scoffed, putting his chopsticks down as he said

Mingi : I should've known this would happen someday.

Miyeon : what would happen.

Mingi : this! You questioning my life!

Miyeon : I'm not-

Mingi cut her off as he stood up, shaking his head before saying

Mingi : forget about all of this, miyeon. I am not going to leave my work behind for anyone or anything, bottom line.

Mingi turned around and left, leaving a teary-eyed miyeon behind. What the hell was she going to do now?

___________________________

2 weeks later :

Mingi limited his interactions with miyeon after that night. Because the more he thought about what she had told him that night, the more he realized his parents were right. Miyeon wasn't fit for this life of his, and no matter how much it hurt for the both of them, it would be better if they separated. Before it was too late, anyway.

And so mingi realized the best way to do that was to slowly grow more distant to her as days passed. In that way, it would hurt less for her when he said he wanted to break up. She'd probably hate him by then.

Whether this whole thing hurt mingi or not, that he didn't care about anymore. If this was what was best for miyeon, then so be it. She deserved a life with children and a loving husband who wasn't in danger of getting killed every day.

____________________________

2 months later :

Miyeon was now sitting in her living room, the TV playing some show in front of her. Except she wasn't watching, and she didn't have it in her to go for work either. She hadn't said that to mingi, because after all how could she? He left before she was awake and came back after she was asleep. And during the few moments they would meet, he remained cold as ever. And this had been going on for the past 2 months. The more time passed, the more distant mingi grew from her. At this point they almost lived like complete strangers.

And that, miyeon supposed, was because of what she had asked him a few months ago, about leaving his job and starting a family. But if this was how mingi reacted to just mere words and questions, how would he react to the fact that miyeon was actually pregnant with their babies? It would tear mingi apart from her, which was why miyeon had hesitated so much to break the news to her boyfriend.

But now, now she supposed there was no harm in trying. Because anyway, he was distant to her. What if things turned out to be different once she actually told mingi about her pregnancy? And so she decided to tell him.

Miyeon flinched as she heard the door opening, a frown falling on her face. It was only 6pm, who the hell was home now? Miyeon stood up, keeping her bowl of grapes aside before walking towards the entryway. Her eyes widened as she saw mingi, his face turning into that of surprise as well as he stared at her.

Mingi : what are you doing here?

Miyeon : I…took a day off work. And you?

Mingi sighed, keeping his shoes aside before saying

Mingi : well then, let's talk.

Miyeon nodded, realizing it was required. It would be the best time to break her news to mingi. Miyeon was about to say it when mingi suddenly said

Mingi : let's break up.

Miyeon froze, her heart thumping against her chest as she whispered

Miyeon : what?

Mingi : let's go our own ways now, miyeon. I don't want to be with you anymore.

Miyeon : but…why? Did I do something wrong?

Mingi : miyeon-ah, remember when you told me about starting a family?

Miyeon : that-

Mingi : yeah no, I cannot do that. This line of work does not allow me to do any of that. Yes, my ancestors have had a family, and many of their children have been killed in the process. The ones that did survive in the end, took over the company. But I cannot do that to my own children, miyeon. And not to you either. I refuse to sacrifice an innocent life for the sake of all this.

Miyeon stared at mingi, her hands unconsciously going to her belly. Mingi sighed as he continued

Mingi : this is a path I must lead by myself now. You cannot follow me any longer.

Miyeon : but I can adjust, mingi. Our-

Mingi : except I don't want you to adjust, miyeon. I don't want you at all anymore.

Miyeon stepped back from mingi, her eyes hurt.

Mingi : the more as time pass, the more you will turn into a burden for me. And I don’t think either of us want that in our future. So go, go away from me and live a life that you want. A life that will give you happiness.

Miyeon scoffed, looking away as tears filled her eyes.

Miyeon : all that time I spent on you, on us, it meant nothing in the end.

Mingi did not say anything more. And just by looking into his face, miyeon had finally decided.

She was going to do this on her own, she was going to give her babies the world.

And so miyeon looked up at mingi with determined eyes before saying

Miyeon : fine. Then this is the end of us. Goodbye, mingi.

__________________________

11 months later :

Miyeon stared at the two beings that were deep asleep in their cribs with a smile on her face, slowly rocking their cribs. It had been a boy and a girl, and miyeon had named them minho and minji. They weren't purely identical, but they had their own similarities. While minho was more like miyeon, minji was more like mingi. Except she wasn't going to tell them about their father.

It was the same father that had abandoned miyeon, so why would she bother telling her children about him? She was a nurse after all, she made enough money to be raising the both of her children very well by herself. And that was exactly what she was going to do.

__________________________

4 years later :

Miyeon was now in a park with her brother, minho and minji clearly in their own words, jumping around the trampoline. Miyeon was watching them with a smile on her face, sipping on her chocholate milk. Wooyoung turned to face his sister, his eyes squinted from the sunlight

Wooyoung : how long are you going to hide them from mingi?

Miyeon : as long as it's required, of course.

Wooyoung : and the kids? They're gonna wanna know about their father sometime, yeon-ah.

Miyeon : when they're old enough, I'll tell them the truth. About how he left me before I could even tell him that I was with child. Until then, they're gonna have to believe that their father is somewhere outside this nation and is unable to visit them.

Wooyoung sighed, leaning back against the bench before saying

Wooyoung : so you're gonna work hard like this for your entire life? Without anyone by your side?

Miyeon : well I have you.

Wooyoung whacked his sister's arm, making minho frown at his uncle from afar

Minho : if you hit my eomma once more, I'm going to squash your tiny head.

Miyeon laughed at that, making wooyoung frown in dismay

Wooyoung : yah! Whose head is tinier!

Minho stuck his tongue out at wooyoung, making wooyoung groan as he started to chase minho around the park. Miyeon chuckled as minji jumped out of the trampoline, running towards her mother with a smile on her face before crashing into her arms.

Minji : what's wrong with those two idiots?

Miyeon giggled, smoothening her daughter's hair before whispering

Miyeon : I wonder.

___________________________

3 years later :

Miyeon was now walking back home from work, after having decided not to take her car to work today. She was about to take her phone out when she heard heavy breathing somewhere close to her, making her pause on her tracks. Someone was hurt.

Miyeon quickly traced herself to the hurt person, standing in front of an alley a few seconds later. And soon enough she saw the man that was crouched down on the floor, holding his stomach that seemed to have a small stab wound, while letting out soft groans. Miyeon stepped forward and was about to say something when the man suddenly looked up, his face coming into her proper view.

Miyeon : mingi?

Mingi let out a shaky breath, looking away from miyeon as he whispered

Mingi : go away.

Miyeon : you're hurt.

Mingi : as you can see. Now go away, jung miyeon.

Miyeon : and? What, you're going to just let yourself die here?

Mingi : why do you care, miyeon. You're not supposed to-

Miyeon : I care because I am a nurse, there's nothing more to this than that.

Miyeon stepped closer to mingi, bending down and moving his hands away to inspect the wound. Mingi stared at her the entire while, taking her in after so many years.

Miyeon : it seems to be a small wound. Do you mind going to the hospital?

Mingi : I can't, they're going to ask for an explanation. Miyeon-

Miyeon : then we're doing this the old way.

Mingi's eyes widened as miyeon lifted him up with her, dragging him out the alley.

Mingi : what the hell are you doing? What is your husband going to say when he sees you taking me home like this?

Miyeon : lucky for you, I have no husband.

Mingi paused, confusion lacing him. She didn't have anyone? Then the kids he saw in the park with her a few months ago?

Miyeon : I'm going to call a taxi. Make sure you have your coat wrapped around the wound at all times. We cannot let anyone see that you're hurt.

Mingi slowly nodded, his hand still clutched against the wound. Miyeon let out a breath, holding her hand out for a taxi as she whispered under her breath

Miyeon : I can't believe I'm doing this.

_______________________________

Taglist : @curly-fr13s @jeongintwt @jamia-wilson @aloverga @treasure-hwa @bigzaddydwaekki

__________________________________

[fairytypingg]

fuck it we're doing this

RAGEON HCS!!!!!

Velvet;

19

leo(i think thats what i am, idk a lot abt astrology)

7 minutes older and takes it way too seriously

overplans for everything

screams cries crumbles if she doesn't have 100% control over any situation

plays a lot into appearances but is actually a chronic workaholic(gets it from her uncle)

she and veneer were raaised by their uncle actually!!

velvet has a love hate relationship with the music industry, before and after the events of the movie

TRUST. ISSUES.

cannot ever talk about her feelings she'll explode

bottles everything up like im so serious

"i'll keep all my emotions right here. and then one day, i'll die."

she vents frustration by talking mad shit in cs:go lobbies

she's really good at the game

scary good aim because of it, and that DOES transfer to real life

has 97 mental illnesses and is banned from most public spaces/ref

"i inhereted severe generational trauma and all i got was borderline personality disorder"

someone help her

she needs therapy

also autistic <3

Veneer;

19

also a leo

7 minutes younger but only remembers bcs velvet will not let him forget

he seems chill in comparison because velvet is so high strung but he is the most dramatic bitch ever

says really out of pocket shit without thinking

"yeah that's why your parents dont call you then haha- what why are you looking at me like that what did i say"

he's the epitome of unmedicated adhd

probably needs glasses

the only one of the twins with a drivers license

was very outgoing growing up because velvet hated talking to people, so someone had to do it

doesn't rly understand velvet being depressed and thinks shes a drama queen like him

"im tragically doomed by the narrative" "drink water dumbass"

hes morosexual

"if a man can locate mount rageous on a map that man is not my type"

dumb fucking ass

love him, hes just kinda stupid.

Kid Ritz:

20

idk any other zodiac signs use ur imagination

every personality disorder you can think of

emotional manipulation is a sport and he is bringing home the gold

whats wrong with him

the answer is mommy issues. and rampant childhood neglect. also when you're raised as rich as he was you're gonna come out weird

struggled to understand the concept of lying as a child so when be finally got it he retaliated by lying for sport and then never stopped doing that

prefers machines to people

hes one of those "there is a minimum iq requirement to talk to me" guys

not just a talk show host!!

he's well trained to take over his father's political position when the old man retires

current director of public security

he's known as a purveyor of gossip for a reason

the saying goes that nothing happens in the city without his knowledge

hyperintelligent

like genius iq, reading at a college level by age 5, etc

actual child prodigy in every conceivable way

notorious for being "perfect"

he's the face of Ritzworth Media Corp for a reason

evil genius

also lonely

his father is grossly neglectful and his mother is a deadbeat

did i mention he has mommy issues

never met his mom and has devoted a lot of his energy to forming an intelligence network dedicated to finding her

hates people

like very antisocial

struggles HEAVILY with empathy

his interviews are notoriously difficult since he entertains himself by making his interviewees squirm

casual sadist in every conceivable way

What's Wrong With Him/aff

Orchid;

18

use ur imagination again im not gonna look it up

rebelling against common characterization here stay with me

secretive about her past but obviously hiding something

a chameleon type of person, can change her behavior, mannerisms, and even accent at the drop of a hat

carries a deep grief with her

distrusting and calculating

she'll "befriend" you but it takes a lot of effort to actually gain her trust

she WILL discard you if she's even slightly suspicious

nobody is sure what her goal is, but she has an agenda

orchid might not be her real name either

very mysterious

generally presents as kind and friendly but it's noticibly fake

cannot stress how much she is hiding something

capable of murder and not afraid to resort to such to protect her secret

dont look in her closet

she has participated in her fair share of underage drinking and can hold her liquor pretty well, but if you manage to get her drunk enough you may be able to pry some answers out of her

has a distaste for celebrities she doesn't see as beneficial to know

gives like. really good advice

identity issues <3

the song Phony is perfect for her

she moves as if she's used to her hair being longer than it is

what is she hiding?

[therunawaykind]

When You Love Somebody

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x GN!Reader

Word Count: 1.9k

Genre: Fluff

Warnings: None? honestly, I can't remember I wrote this back in May

A/N: Long time no see! I finally have time to post something for you all again! I'm pretty sure this stemmed from a prompt @writing-house-of-m gave me months ago that I for the life of me cannot remember anymore. This very much could be a disaster and mess of writing but nonetheless, enjoy!

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*Please do not repost or translate my material or claim as yours. reblogs, comments and likes are always appreciated!*

At the start, people were very much against the idea of you pursuing and starting this long-distance relationship…of course, it's completely understandable why the people you knew would be hesitant about something like this. The one consolation you had for this whole experience was that you had met your now girlfriend's twin brother whilst he was on exchange at the college you were currently studying at. You had gotten friendly with the twin who you now knew as Pietro due to being one of the many people in charge of giving information to any exchange or new students. As well as giving campus tours and any queries these students may have regarding the college and accommodation.  

It was on a random afternoon when Pietro was hanging out in your apartment when he got the notification of a Facetime call coming through, being respectable you offered to leave the room whilst he talked to whoever it was for his own privacy worried in case it was his anyone from his family or a significant other. He quickly turned down and dismissed your offer stating that it was only his younger sister. Sitting at the other end of the sofa scrolling on your phone in an attempt to give him at least some privacy whilst they talked….you quickly realised he had all the privacy he wanted and needed as they both started conversing in their native tongue.

Chuckling to yourself as you threw your phone onto the coffee table to start looking through the cupboards to search for what you could make for dinner. As you started taking out the pots and pans the mention of your name made your head shoot up subsequently hitting your head off of the open cupboard, muttering a quiet “fuck” under your breath. You take a deep breath and rub the back of your head as you hear Pietro call out to you “Hey Y/N c’mere a sec I wanna introduce you to Wanda…annndd she also kinda wants to say hi since she saw you in the background.” Your eyes went wide as you realised Wanda Pietro’s younger sister had just seen you go through that whole predicament. 

Sheepishly making your way over behind Pietro to introduce yourself, you waved slowly as you started to furrow your eyebrows “Hey Piet… I thought you said that your sister was younger.” You chuckled slightly at the gasp that left Wanda’s mouth as she started cursing and muttering at Pietro in their native language again as Pietro fell back laughing on the sofa. Glancing between Pietro and Wanda seeing her eyebrow arch as she silently tells him to share the truth, between laboured breaths he starts to sit up saying “Technically technically she is my younger sister-” smirking as you hear Wanda clear her throat “However she is my twin sister I am just 12 minutes older.” You nod your head slowly and let out a quiet “Oh okay cool.” Clearing your throat as you scratch the side of your neck nervously “Hey Wanda can… can I ask you something.” As Wanda turns her attention towards you she grins and rests her chin on her hand “Sure what’s up?” 

“Did you..did you uhh see everything that happened back there a few minutes ago?” 

The second Wanda starts to smirk you know the answer as she slowly nods her head “Oh yeah Y/N I saw everything.”  You purse your lips and nod your head as you start rambling “Cool cool cool cool.” 

Pietro suddenly snaps out of whatever daze he was in “Huh? What, what happened Y/N/N what happened what did I miss that happened to you?” You smirk and pat him on the shoulder “Nothing Piet don’t worry about it. I better get back to making dinner but Wanda it was nice meeting you and hopefully, we can talk again at some stage.” Giving her a lil two-finger salute in goodbye as you spin around on your heels to go continue making dinner. 

What you missed was Pietro smirking to himself and Wanda as he wiggles his eyebrows and she swiftly tells him to shut it. 

It was from that moment on you and Wanda started contacting and talking to each other…Wanda boldly asked Pietro if he could get your number for her, you naively thinking it was innocent and Wanda just wanted to be friendly, not realising it would lead you both to now. 

Packing your suitcases with Pietro for another one of your visits to Sokovia, granted you had been able to pack by yourself to go to Sokovia before. But Pietro warned you this time around you would need his help. The reason being it's winter in Sokovia and you’d severely underestimate just how cold it is during that time and under pack hugely and he really couldn’t handle dealing with the wrath of his sister. Wanda had come to visit you from time to time overall it was just easier for you to visit her on the regular with your college and work schedule being so flexible. 

As the aeroplane started to descend to the runaway you looked out the window and saw just how much snow Sokovia was covered in an amazed “woah” came from your mouth. As you manoeuvred your way through baggage claim and the airport. Whilst you have witnessed and experienced snow back home..this was unlike anything else you’ve ever seen, stepping outside and taking a deep breath in as your eyes scan the exit of the airport taking in all the hustle and bustle whilst also attempting to catch a glimpse of your brunette covered in a beanie and bundled in layers.

Rocking back and forth on your heels as you look around the parking lot you smirk to yourself when you see the beanie-covered head coming your way with her hands stuffed in the pockets of her coat. Exhaling the breath you were holding and smiling to yourself as your breath clouded the cold air in front of you, slowly approaching the grinning brune- redhead? You wrap your free arm around your torso in an attempt to keep in the little warmth you have as you state “You changed the colour of your hair.” 

“Wow no hi, hello, how’s my lovely girlfriend doing? But yes I did, I did I wanted it to be a surprise. You- you don’t hate it do you?” Wanda brings her hands up to the hair that’s cascading down her shoulders touching and playing with it insecurely. “No no! God no! I like it. It’s just the last time we talked…well you were brunette so I was expecting a brunette to come pick me up.” Wanda lets out a sarcastic laugh as she shoves you and notices your teeth start to chatter “Yeah, yeah alright come on before you turn to ice.” Sighing to yourself in relief as you sat into Wanda’s car feeling the warmth inside heating you up, placing your head back against the headrest as you shut your eyes making sure to catch up on all the things you both missed out on as you prepared for the journey to Wanda’s house. 

After a few hours of getting settled into Wanda and her family's home, you assumed the feeling of cold would’ve disappeared by now however that wasn’t the case. You were sitting on the floor in front of their fire with a fluffy blanket wrapped around you with your warmest clothes on trying to get warm. Wanda was lying across the sofa relaxing whilst her parents were sitting together on a separate sofa relaxing as if this was an ordinary day and….actually functioning as normal human beings. Wanda propped herself up on the couch leaning her hand against her temple as she stared at you despairingly as she sighed “Y/N/N honey come up here will you please and lemme try help and get you warm?” As you turned around to face Wanda the only way she could describe the expression you had on your face was pure stubbornness that you couldn’t succeed in getting yourself warm. She smirked to herself and her parents as she glanced at them quickly whilst she was reaching for yet another blanket at the bottom of the sofa to drape it over both you and her. 

The dip in the cushions of the sofa made her look up at you and grin lovingly as she threw the ends of the blanket over her feet haphazardly whilst opening her arms wide for you to lie into. Trying to stop a smile from spreading across your face pretending you hate the idea of being cuddled up with Wanda on the sofa, you sigh heavily as you start getting yourself comfortable in front of her as she fixes the blanket that was already wrapped around you and pulling up the other she threw haphazardly by her feet making sure everything was tucked in tight around the both of you so you would get as much heat as physically possible. 

Wanda leans forward and whispers in your ear “Also honey don’t pretend that you hate this I know you love being cuddled up next to me, besides we need to get you warmed up we can’t be having you this cold for the duration of your stay.” 

You sigh lightly “I know, I know I just didn’t wanna seem… I dunno weak or whatever I suppose in front of your parents for not even being capable of getting myself warm.” 

She purses her lips as she places her hand on your head “Honey I can assure you they don’t think you’re weak or whatever. This type of weather is new to you, your body is getting accustomed to this. I can assure you they just don’t want you getting sick or affecting you badly…so if it takes you cuddling up next to their daughter under some blankets, they don’t care. All that matters is that you get warm and you know….they do say body heat is the most effective way to keep warm.” 

You chuckle slightly as you mumble “I could think of a more fun way of using body heat to get and stay warm.” Wanda gasps slightly as she shoves you forward before grabbing the back of your shirt so you don’t fall off the sofa, “I was making reference to emperor penguins and how they huddle together in the cold….you had to go and suggest that I was insinuating it another way.” Wanda smirks and winks at you as she sees your head turn slightly to look back at her. You shake your head in disbelief and mouth “Oh my God, unbelievable.” 

Getting comfortable on the sofa again Wanda slips her arm underneath your shirt draping it across your stomach, flinching slightly at the warmth coming from Wanda it’s only then that you realise she’s been wearing a t-shirt the whole time as you run your hand up her forearm to hold her hand. “You’re always so nice and warm, how are you always so nice and warm?” 

Wanda chuckles slightly at the comment as she mumbles “Well honey you might not have noticed but whenever I am with you…you’re always cold so I can only assume that carries over to when I’m not with you as well. But it works, that makes us a good combination you cool me down in the summer with how cold your body is and in the winter I get to warm you up. We’re a perfect team.” She grins down at you after stating that, rubbing her thumbs across your stomach and kissing the top of your head. You both divert your attention to the television screen and bask in the comfort and happiness of being with your partner and her parents.

[legitalicat]

Out of Time

Chapter 5 - "Oh Brother, I've Returned"

an: While it does not fit this chapter entirely, I listened to "Brother" by Madds Buckley a lot during this chapter. As an older sister who moved out when my younger sibling was under 10, I feel the guilt of being gone while your siblings grow up without you. I highly recommend that song.

If you love this header go check out zaldritzosrose for more amazing work! She is tagged on the series masterlist and on my welcome post!

Find the series Master list here!

Summary: "It is not a ridiculous notion to fear what we do not know. Yet you cannot let your fears keep you from them."

TW: Anxiety, profanity, angst, dead daddy issues, literal bone crushing hugs, substance use, fear of addiction, detailed descriptions of Viserys I death, descriptions of severe pain, Vizzy is not a good parent, Aemond and Jace making a scene at dinner AGAIN, very large and physically intimidating men, Jaehaerys being very much a brother, Joffrey and Luke being little shithead brothers,

Romantic Pairings: Very brief focus on Aemond Targaryen x Velaryon!Reader, Very brief focus on Jacaerys Velaryon x Twin!Reader, Aegon Targaryen ii x Velaryon!Reader.

Other characters shining in this chapter: Ser Erryk, Jaehaera Targaryen, Lucerys Velaryon, Joffrey Velaryon, Aegon iii, Viserys Targaryen ii, Rhaenyra Targaryen, Alicent Hightower

Word count: 6.6k (oops)

The fuzzy feelings disappeared by late afternoon. A bright side was that I was absolutely starving when dinner time came. When I stood from my bed, I found I still had no pain. It was great to be able to walk across the room in less than five minutes.

I met Ser Erryk just outside my room. He greeted me as he always did, cheerful and just seemingly grateful. He spoke to me of the apparent menu for the night. We were to have braised goose with roasted chestnuts and cabbage.

“You like goose?” I asked him as we walked.

“I do, princess. It is greasy, so unappealing to some. I believe your mother is among them,” he said, smiling at me.

“It was a joke of sorts, between her and my father. A discussion they had before they were married. She likes to have it every so often as a way to remember him,” I told him.

It was true enough. The reason why Ser Laenor was who claimed us was apparent to me when I thought of him. He was never without the company of a male companion. When we first went to Dragonstone, he brought a young knight. Joffrey is named after a knight he knew in his youth, whose death devastated him in unimaginable ways. He loved them both deeply and in a way he could never love Mother.

It was known to her before they married, so when she spoke to him of the marriage, she assured him it would not impose on his life. She equated it to taste, saying like her, he preferred roast duck to goose. There was nothing wrong with that. Some people just like things and that was that.

After his death, I found Mother would request goose for our dinner. When I pointed out that he had never picked it out himself, she told me that was the point. The goose was meant to represent their effort in marriage, and for her it was a way to honor him. She had so much love for him, and he for her, even if it was not the type of love she shared with my blood father or even Daemon.

I truly believe they were soulmates. Most believed that soulmates were romantic, that it always ended with love and sex and all those things that made people gooey inside. There was not a person alive, though, that could convince me Mother and Laenor did not belong together in life even though they were not in love. You cannot have a best friend like that and tell me that the gods did not design you for that person.

Often I think how there was nobody better than Laenor to have been with her. Yes, my father and her loved one another in a way most wouldn’t understand. Yes, Daemon seems an equal match for her now. And yes, Laenor had loved his male companions the way he perhaps should’ve loved the one he married. But they understood each other on a fundamental level. They never begrudged one another, never showed anything to us that wasn’t pure love and respect for not only us but one another. Even if it were not romantic love, they were made to love each other.

“Ser Laenor was a good man. I think he would be proud of who you are,” he told me. “I truly believe that.”

Sometimes I didn’t know how to feel about Ser Laenor. He was not my blood. His opinions on me truly held no bearing in the grand scheme of things, as he was never who I had to impress. My inheritance would’ve never come from him.

But anytime I heard he would be proud of me, I wanted to beg for more. Blood or not he was my father. He was the man who claimed me. He loved me. How could I not want him to be proud of me?

“Thank you, Ser Erryk. I appreciate it,” I whispered, trying to not let my voice crack under the emotion.

We continued walking along without speaking any further. I could hear music and laughter as we approached the Small Hall. Don’t let the name fool you, though. Located in the Tower of the Hand, it had to be smaller than the Great Hall where the Throne sat, but this hall still held over two hundred people if so desired. With a family so large, it made sense to have our dinners here.

Erryk went to open the door but I reached out my hand to grab his before he could. The sounds of the ones I love being happy on the other side of this door terrified me. We were all mostly happy that night, the night I disappeared. At least we were for a moment in time.

My finger tips went numb and my bottom lip was trembling. It had been hard enough just being alone with those I’ve had time with already. But to see all of them, all at once, felt like it was an impossible task.

I had yet to speak to any of my brothers other than Jace. Trying to face the very distinct possibility of Little Aegon and Viserys disliking me felt like my stomach was being tied in knots. Joffrey was fourteen now, what if he didn’t like me either? Or if Luke was angry with me, somehow blaming me for being gone, I don’t think I could take it.

So much time had been lost. I was newly eighteen when I disappeared, now Jace and I were fast approaching twenty four. Aemond had been nineteen, Helaena twenty, Aegon twenty two, and Luke just fifteen. We all had so much time together. But Joffrey had only been nine, Little Aegon four, and Viserys only two. I had missed such a grand portion of their lives, even more when thinking of the year I was in King’s Landing beforehand, I didn’t think I could fit.

“We can go back if you wish,” Erryk said quietly to me. “I will make some excuse as to why you remain in your rooms. They needn’t know.”

“What kind of person is scared of their family for no reason?” I whispered to him, looking at him as a tear slowly rolled down my cheek.

It would maybe make sense if they had been terrible to me. But even the worst among them treated me as though I was golden. Alicent, who had undoubtedly been abhorrent to Mother and my brothers to the point she demanded all of us be brought to her when Mother was fresh from her labors, had loved me. I could distinctly remember sitting on her lap as a small child while my grandsire told Jace and I about the Kingdoms the would one day be ours.

“The first time Arryk and I went home after we were appointed to the Kingsguard, I was certain our parents would shut the door in our face,” he told me. “How could they not? I mean we were the only two heirs to our house and we both took an oath that forbade us from having lands, having a wife, having children. We effectively ended our house with us. But all our parents cared about was that we were happy and safe. It is not a ridiculous notion to fear what we do not know. Yet you cannot let your fears keep you from them.”

I could not look him in the eye. Part of me was so ashamed to feel as scared that I did. To me, it was a ridiculous notion. I’m the blood of the dragon, how could I fear anything?

He put his other hand over top mine, that still held onto him like my life depended on it. That was what let me meet his gaze. He truly looked at me with nothing but kindness in his eyes.

“When you were a girl, it is not that you were fearless. It is that you have always loved so fiercely your own fears did not stop you. When you sabotaged the soil stores so that the garden bugs would not die, you faced your mother, Queen Alicent, and your grandsire with tears in your eyes. You were scared of being in trouble, of having done something wrong. Even so, you held Helaena’s hand and explained why you did it. The night of Aemond’s injury, you were scared to anger everyone in explaining what happened. Yet, what mattered to you was the truth and so you told the truth,” he explained to me. “I offer again that I can take you back to your room and I will tell them you were not feeling well.”

The faith he had in the person I am felt comforting. At least there was one person who knew truly who I am. He had no reason to make me fit a certain mold. It was not like with Aemond or Jace in which he needed me to be this perfect representation of a person. He did not need me to understand the darkest parts of him like Aegon did. It was truly like he was a friend.

“Do not stray far from me,” I said quietly to him.

Releasing his hand, I stood straight and readied myself. He opened the door and stood to the side.

When I stepped into the room, for a moment nobody really noticed me and I just got to watch. Viserys, Little Aegon, and Maelor were all running around the room in a game. Mother and Alicent were speaking to one another, smiling. Jaehaerys and Jaehaera were animatedly discussing something with Aemond and Helaena. Luke, Jace, and Aegon were all hunched over the table as they laughed about something. Joffrey was in the corner of the room sneaking a little cake.

They were all so happy. Was this truly what it was like all the time now? Had the wounds of the past been so forgotten we could live like this?

Surprisingly, the first to notice me was Jaehaera. She very obviously lit up upon seeing me and got up from her chair near immediately. Wasting no time, she went to the empty chair in between Mother and Alicent and grabbed a bouquet of flowers that had sat in it. It was then others took notice of her movements and all their eyes shifted from her to me.

When I began feeling the fear bubbling up inside me again and my fingertips once again felt numb, I just focused on Jaehaera. This little girl who was so happy when she noticed me, a little girl I adored so much, was now running to me with these flowers in her hand. They were a pretty assortment, consisting peonies, tulips, and lilies.

“Mumma says you like flowers so I picked the prettiest ones,” she said happily when she stopped in front of me. She very proudly held out her bouquet so that I could admire her work.

I smiled softly at Jaehaera as tears welled up in my eyes. “They are lovely, thank you little one,” I said in a voice that was barely above a whisper. Carefully I took the bouquet from her and held it in my hands.

They were not flawless flowers. One of the peonies had not fully bloomed while another had already begun to lose its petals. The lilies had been slightly crushed against the weight of the other flowers. I noticed the tulips had little teeny insects crawling around on them, which Helaena and her children no doubt saw as an added benefit, and as such there were teeny holes in some of the petals. But there was not enough gold in the world that could convince me to rid myself of this bouquet. Despite the flaws, I could not think of it as anything less than perfect. Erryk took them in his own hand before he arranged for a serving girl to take them to my room and put them in water.

She took my hand in hers and began pulling me along to the table. Even in her excitement, she also seemed to be careful with me like everyone else had been.

“Do you want to sit next to me??” Jaehaerys said loudly when I was in arms reach of the table. It caused Jaehaera to stop her path, therefore stopping me.

“Inside voice, bubba,” Jaehaera said softly to him before looking at me. “Excuse him. He forgets we all have ears.”

“That’s okay, Luke was like that too when he was little,” I said to her. It caused them both to grin from ear to ear.

“Did you hear that Jae Jae? I’m like Luke,” he said, noticeably quieter this time, but just as excitedly.

“I am just glad someone else knows about brothers,” Jaehaera said with a giggle.

“I would like to point out that I had no choice but to be loud to make sure I was heard over Jace’s big mouth,” Luke said as he stood from his seat.

When Luke stood I realized he was taller than me. Not near as tall as Aegon, but a noticeable few inches. It caused a great stirring of emotions in my chest. I had anticipated my brothers growing taller than me, in fact it surprised me that Jace was only my height and not taller. Yet, not being here to notice it happening caused an ache.

Especially with Luke. He was only three years younger than me, so I did not remember his birth or his little years quite like I remembered Joffrey’s, Little Aegon’s, or Viserys’. That didn’t keep me from remembering bits and pieces, though. Like, I used to help Mother pick out the clothes he wore as a baby as though he was a doll. I snuck out of bed one night when he was a newborn so that I could sleep next to his cradle. I could remember the first time he got sick and, instead of going to Mother and Laenor, he crawled into bed between Jace and I and leaked snot all over my chest.

The bad parts, the good parts, all of it was not something I would trade for the world. Despite having more conscious thoughts when the younger three were babies, Luke was my baby. To me there was nobody better. He was as good and pure as a person could get. If Mother thought I was the best parts of both my fathers, Luke was the best parts of me. He was every good thing in this world rolled into the sweetest package.

“Now you can’t hold sweets over my head and keep me from getting them,” he said playfully.

“No, but I can still sit on your head until you cry,” I responded. My own ear to ear grin spread across my face. I did not care that it hurt my lip as the skin stretched. Luke was worth it.

“I cried one time! You were crushing my ear!” he defended adamantly.

“I maintain to this day that you should not have taken my book,” I told him with a shrug.

“Hadn’t he already handed it back to you when you sat on him?” Jace asked me.

“I don’t recall asking for your input, Jace,” I said quickly causing Luke to laugh.

Luke was truly a man now. His laugh was deeper, as was his voice. He was twenty now and by no means could he be confused as a child.

He wrapped his arms around me in a near bone crushing hug. Even with the pain shooting through my ribs, I could not ask him to ease up. The world felt right the moment he hugged me. Like the years had not passed without me.

I noticed he smelled like the sea. Salt water and open sky, with just a trace of the smell of the wood the ships were made of. If I had to guess, he spent a lot of time in Driftmark now, preparing himself for when Grandsire Corlys was no longer able to hold the Driftwood Throne. When he was little and we suffered the loss of both Ser Harwin and our Aunt Laena, he feared becoming Lord of Driftmark as he knew the death that would precede that moment. If he had been able to move past that fear, I was grateful.

“Are you a sailor now?” I asked as I pulled back from him.

“Only sometimes. Grandsire has spent two years teaching me how to,” he answered. He had a shy, goofy little smile on his face.

“And I would imagine he regales you with stories of the Velaryon blood ruling the seas every moment of it,” I joked.

“Would he be him if he weren’t the proudest man alive?” he asked.

My three Velaryon brothers and Mother all chuckled at that. Genuinely speaking I could not think of a prouder man alive. Our grandfather had held House Velaryon miles above any house, including Targaryens. I think it was because the Targaryens were dragonlords making him think we were handed power, whereas Velaryons seemed to build everything themselves. There was a pride to be held in that, of course. But Westeros was not conquered by shipmasters, now was it?

With this laughter, I took a moment to look around, turning around the room, and settling to look at Joffrey. Fourteen certainly was not the age of a man but compared to the nine year old I left behind he might as well have been. My little Joffrey, whose birth was the first I truly remember, making the three of us older ones so excited. We were downright annoying when it came to him.

Jace had decided we needed to pick the egg for him ourselves. Without uttering a word to anyone, we snuck away from the dragonkeeper charged in teaching us our lesson that day and delved far into the Dragonpit. Luke excitedly picked the egg from one of Syrax’s clutches. As the three of us had been given one, with only mine not hatching, we had to give the baby an egg that came from Mother’s dragon. Our father found us as we were trying to carry the red hot cauldron to the Keep. With his help, and the enlisted help of a few keepers, we awaited the arrival of the baby eagerly.

We took turns stoking the flames underneath it to keep it warm while we waited for Mother. And when she returned, followed closely by Laenor with the baby boy in hand, Luke and Jace both desperately wanted to get close to him. Laenor and father had to practically bat them away so that our baby brother could meet our father.

For myself, I can only remember looking at my perfect family. While in that moment I had not been told the truth of my birth, I knew. It was not so much a moment of realization that none of my brothers or I looked like Laenor, instead favoring Mother’s sworn shield. It was not even hearing the rumors and embodying them as a sort of self fulfilling prophecy. No, all it took was me seeing how Laenor yielded in that moment to Harwin and seeing the way this mountain of a man became so soft when gazing upon Joffrey for me to know. He was a man who was granted love in undeniable ways and he was a part of our family.

Joffrey looked the most like our father. The four of us all had his hair color and his complexion, of course. Jace and I got his eyes, according to Mother, and I could agree. The colors were the same on all four of us, yet we got the shape. I could see on Jace the little crinkles in the corners that our father had. Luke had his smile to the point that when our father died, I desperately worked to make Luke smile for days so that I could feel the embrace of the man who created me. Yet Joffrey had it all. His eyes, his nose, his smile, even the height and bulk of him. There were traces of Mother, like in the angles of his jawline or the placement of his cheekbones. But one could be forgiven if they thought Harwin Strong walked the halls of the Red Keep again when seeing Joffrey.

How cruelly ironic. The one who only got a few meetings with our father was the one who looked to be a trueborn Strong and not the dirty little secret I always felt like. The one who would never know our father or Laenor and the way they both loved us, who was robbed of the perfect family I loved so much, was everything I begged to be. A perfect embodiment of the father I prayed returned to me sat before me in the form of the last of his children.

“Joffrey, I believe Y/N would appreciate if you could come closer,” Aemond’s voice said from somewhere out of my view. I believed he may be behind me, with Jaehaera on my left and Luke still to my right. I could not be bothered to check.

Joffrey nodded and placed the sweet down on a nearby table before walking closer to me. He wiped his hands against his pants, highlighting to me that he was wearing Targaryen colors of black and not Velaryon ones. I could see the crumbs fall to the floor as he walked. It was almost enough to make me laugh.

“Have you been so short your entire life?” he asked when he stood in front of me. He was taller than Aemond even, wider around the middle, broader along the shoulders than Jace. It was terrifying when one realized most of that was probably muscle, and most likely he had more growing to do.

“I would like to point out I am perfectly normal height,” I said, huffing a bit. “You are just tall.”

“To you. To me, you are short. Perspective, sissy,” he said.

My heart caught in my throat. It wasn’t that I had anticipated him to forget me or all the time I had spent teaching him of the world. But hearing him call me sissy and confirming that I still had a place in his heart made my own ache in unexpected ways.

Wrapping my arms around his middle, I pulled him into a tight hug. It was a hug he returned eagerly, holding me as tight as I held him. Just as with Luke, I couldn’t be bothered to care about any of the pain coursing through my body.

Luke and Joffrey had so much of me in them. Luke was my baby and Joffrey was my sidekick. Where one clung to me the other did just the same. For the longest time you could not find me without them. I did everything for them to ensure their lives. Luke and I spent hours just standing on the deck of our ship so that I could help him overcome his fear of the sea. I was the one who taught Joffrey to read, and then taught him as much as I could of politics and history. Both of them spent so much time with me in the gardens of Dragonstone as I tended to the flowers.

When I finally convinced myself that I could let go without him disappearing, I pulled away from his hold. Concern drew itself onto his face. If the empty yet extraordinarily heavy feeling in my head and the fire spreading through my chest had caused me to look as I felt in this moment, I would imagine I’d look much the same as he did. In truth I could not care to look at everyone else. Leaning forward to lean against Joffrey, I tried to steady my breathing.

“Let’s sit you down,” Luke whispered from behind me. I can only assume I nodded as he and Joffrey both supported me to sit me in the chair between Alicent and Mother. The last note of music that filled the room just moments ago echoed from every wall before the room fell into silence.

“Y/N, you mustn’t overdo it, sweet girl,” Mother said quietly, pressing a cooled rag to my head.

“I couldn’t tell them to stop, mama. My babies still love me,” I whispered to her, gripping her wrist to still her hand. The suddenness of my movement caused me a blinding flash of burning pain.

“Perhaps we should order some milk of the poppy,” Alicent suggested, looking between Mother and me.

“No, no,” I begged her, tears springing to my eyes.

Let me be clear and say I understand the benefits of the medicine. It is extremely effective in easing pain and in large enough quantities, could incapacitate an entire Dothraki horde. Though I dare anyone to watch their grandfather wither to be but a living, skin covered skeleton and he can’t even acknowledge his breathing because he is so addled by the shit.

I am not stupid enough to think back on his life and legacy and think him a good King nor even a good father. But I do know, factually know, that he was a man who loved his family dearly. A man who was taken advantage of in his deepest grief and never fixed the mistakes made in those times. A man who deserved more than to die so slowly while his brain, his very capable and beautiful brain, wasted away because of the only treatment for his pain.

When you watch a man go from being able to tell you about the Kingdom he loves, that one day you will rule, to not even being able to remember your existence, it changes things. When you watch him become so frail and thin that being turned the wrong way breaks his bones, yet remain so puffy under the eye and in his fingertips because of the poison, you may refuse it too. His younger children may not have cared, of that I will not speak on. But I cared, and it terrified me.

Would he have been in so much pain constantly if he hadn’t taken it so regularly? What if he was being treated for an ailment that was caused by milk of the poppy? And if that was true, how much would it take before I could not exist without it?

“Y/N, you cannot live in this pain,” Mother said to me.

“I cannot live like that,” I corrected her.

“Your grandsire was very sick for a long time, you will heal in mere weeks. But you cannot heal if you live in this pain,” Alicent said. Her voice was just as quiet and soothing as Mother’s as she petted my hair.

Very slowly, I adjusted my body in my chair to look to Aegon. He was watching me with silent tears in his eyes. But when our wet gazes locked together he understood what I needed. He did not need anything else from me. He understood my pain as I did his.

After pushing himself to a stand from his seat, he wasted no time in getting to my side. All the while he was reaching in his sleeve to pull out the pouch with the biscuits. Within a moment he was by my side, kneeling to be able to look up at my face.

“Stars?” he asked me. It took me less than half a breath to know he was asking how severe my pain, if it was enough to make me see stars. He knew it went beyond feeling knives in my body but he could not tell further.

“Lightning,” I muttered to him.

He had once theorized the lightning that extended from the sky during the worst of storms would be the most painful thing to be hit by. It was on a late night adventure, one that quickly turned into a two day adventure, that he had dragged me on not long before I had Vhaela. We mounted Sunfyre together and flew to Harrenhal. Quick enough flying on Sunfyre, though it took nearly all night. When we had arrived, a storm had come overhead, and we watched as lightning struck the large castle no less than three times. The stone was surprisingly mostly unscathed, save for the burn marks permanently etched on its side. When we spoke of a human withstanding just one strike, he said you’d nearly die from the pain alone.

It was how I knew he would understand. This was not the pain I experienced falling from my bed when I was six. This was a burning, pulsating pain that caused me to lose parts of my sight. A pain so severe I could not breathe properly.

He helped me eat a significant bit more than what I had earlier. Mainly because every time I moved myself I was hit with another flash of pain. It was just easier to allow his help.

“The larger portion may not quicken the effects but it will help manage your pain better,” he said quietly to me. “Tell me what I can do in the meanwhile.”

“Stay right here and have everyone return to their joy,” I whispered to him as I took his hand. “At the least I wish to see everyone smile.”

He nodded softly and looked to Alicent. Within a few minutes, the music started back up and not long after that the chatter started up again. I would have to be oblivious to not notice the worried looks Mother and Alicent still gave me. Though those looks were nothing compared to the way Aemond and Jace were glaring at Aegon.

Genuinely speaking, it was a lot like watching children. It was as though Aemond and Jace had never once considered that anyone else would want to play their game. They only considered each other and knew what to expect from them. But now they viewed Aegon as a competitor.

Was Aegon a competitor? Sure he had said earlier how he loved me, that I was the only woman he loved. But he did not put his hand forward. He did not express a desire to be with me despite the love he held for me. I could no more count him as a contender for my heart as I could Ser Erryk.

Where Aemond and Jace looked on at him in anger, Aegon paid no mind. His eyes were focused solely on me. And every time I met his gaze, I gave him a small squeeze in the hand.

Six songs passed before I felt any relief. At first it wasn’t noticed until I could take a full breath. It was when I turned my head to watch as the food was brought in that it became clear that I could now manage. It seemed it became clear to Aegon, too, as he left my side and took his place back across from Luke.

Luke, Jace, and Aegon took the seats on the end of the table nearest the windows. Luke and Aegon on the very end, Jace beside Aegon. Joffrey took a spot next to Luke. Then beside Joffrey sat Aemond, and beside Jace there was Helaena. Next to Aemond was Alicent, with Jaehaera across from her. Then you had me and I was sat across from Jaehaerys. To my right was Mother, and across from her sat Maelor. There was two empty seats on Mother’s other side, and across from them was Little Aegon and Viserys. Then a singular chair that looked down the whole of the table sat on the very end, also empty, and that was closest to the kitchen.

Alicent lead us all in prayer. Truthfully, I probably should’ve paid more mind to the words she was saying. It mattered a lot to her, Helaena, and even Aemond. Yet, when I looked down the table and saw Aegon watching my every move, every thought from my head left. So instead, I looked directly at my plate.

The juices that flowed from the goose glistened in the candlelight that danced against every surface in stunning opposition to how the dark gravy absorbed light. The cabbage and roasted chestnuts sat to the side of it, looking decently appealing on their own. There was a basket of bread placed down for every four people. All of the adults, save Aegon and I, had a large cup of wine sitting in front of them. If Aegon and the children had the same as me, we all had water. Once Alicent was done saying her prayers, the only sound to be heard was all of us eating our food.

It was delicious. Though it was not a surprise to me, as the cooks here in King’s Landing had always been phenomenal. Maybe it was the fuzziness in my head that made it more apparent. Yet, it seemed more complex than normal. The meat was almost sweeter, the gravy with a level of saltiness that counteracted it perfectly. The chestnuts were almost like velvet in my mouth, creating a feeling akin to butter. Even cabbage, that I normally did not like, was something I would pick again and again.

“Did you try to come back?” A small voice asked. I looked up, only to see Viserys staring at me.

“Viserys,” Mother said firmly. It was her warning tone. Perhaps she did not think it proper for him to question me.

“I can’t remember,” I said quietly. “But I cannot imagine a reality in which I did not fight to return back to you all.”

“Is that why you are all beat up?” Little Aegon asked me.

“Aegon,” Mother said with the same firmness. I reached to take her hand in mine and gave it a small squeeze. She needed to understand that they were allowed to ask me, I could not fault them for being confused.

“Possibly. But I do not remember,” I told him.

“Do you remember anything?” they both asked at the same time.

“Not from when I was gone, no,” I whispered. “But I remember before I was gone. I remember loving the two of you so much. I am sorry I disappeared, and I am sorry that you both grew up without me.”

All of that was mostly true. I hated my disappearance, as it did take me away from everyone I loved. Yet to say I do not remember anything from the time I was gone may not be true.

In my thoughts, I could wade through the fog that the biscuit causes. Only in this feeling did I get any information from my brain. When I tried desperately to remember the last five years, there were only two things that my mind could conjure up. A glowing vial of shimmering red fire that I am near certain was a potion swirled in and out of my mind’s eye. And there was a distinct feeling loneliness, of knowing that where I existed was not where I belonged.

The shade of red of the potion was eerily familiar. While equating it to fire would be the right way to imagine the way that the liquid flowed, it was poor in grasping the color. One could tell me that someone was able to melt rubies into this vial and I would believe them. That was the only physical thing that was colored correctly.

Until I could explain more or had more answers, I would not say anything. With how desperate Mother and Aemond were for vengeance, giving them half answers could cause more damage that it would repair. It was not worth it.

“Do you want to come to our dragon lessons tomorrow?” Little Aegon asked.

Unable to verbalize my answer, I nodded. Spending time with my two littlest brothers felt like exactly what I needed. They may not be quite sure about me at all, but they were willing to give me a chance. I suppose that is all I could ask for.

The sound of a chair scraping against the stone floor brought my attention to the left side of the table. Aemond stood with his cup raised. My jaw tightened. The last time he gave a toast, he managed to call my brothers bastards while ignoring that it meant I too was a bastard. It caused a fight to break out, with Jace punching Aemond and Aegon slamming Luke into the table. I was not wanting a repeat and I doubt anyone else did.

“A toast,” Aemond said. “To the return of Ali. The Keep had truly existed in a darkness without you.”

A heat rose to my cheeks with his words. It was tame, I suppose, with what he could say. Although, I do wish he would just have not brought any further attention to me. I don’t think I would be able to say anything to him though.

“I wish to take this moment to make it clear,” he said. As always there was a confidence he held that I couldn’t shake. “Byka zaldrīzes, no longer do I wish to hide my affections. It is here and now that I am declaring my intention to marry you.”

My heart started skipping beats. While he had said it aloud to me, he had not voiced it to anyone else. And it wasn’t entirely like it was a secret, as he had always been rather obvious. With this declaration there was no longer a doubt about where I stood with him.

Jace stood up quickly, slamming his hands on the table as he did so. “She is my twin, Aemond, my betrothed. You do not get to decide such a thing,” he said angrily.

Aegon grabbed Jace’s shoulder and pulled him back into a sitting position. I was aware of Aemond smirking as he watched Jace. Leave it to him to make this a little game, a game which he is certain he will win.

“It is not your decision, either,” Aegon told him as though he were spitting poison at him. My jaw dropped slightly. It was not usual that I saw him actually angry.

“And you think you get any say?” Aemond asked his older brother.

“I think the two of you are so focused on this pissing contest that’s been going on since we were children you fail to realize that she is hurt,” Aegon shouted, standing up. Despite being shorter than Aemond and not as broad as Jace, he somehow made himself look larger. He made himself an unmoving force.

“I better than anyone know that she is hurt,” Aemond said darkly, to which Jace voiced the same sentiment.

“Are you both so truly lost in your desires that you are ignoring the anguish she is in? She caused herself so much pain she was barely conscious just so she could feel as though she still has a place! Do not pretend this is about anyone other than the two of you,” Aegon shouted.

“And what of you? What is your plan, dear brother?” Aemond asked, moving himself to appear larger.

The difference between them in this moment was fascinating. Aemond wanted to prove his dominance. He felt he had some claim to me just because of the love he and I share. With Aegon, though, it was because he wanted to prove nothing more than he was capable of protecting me.

Aegon turned to look at me. I could see him ease up almost immediately. It was like just the sight of me was enough to calm him.

“I am here however you choose to have me,” he said softly, addressing me directly.

[aishangotome]

Roger Barel: Chapter 1

Prologue 2

♡———♡

Fate we are born with, dreams we cannot fulfill, incurable diseases, war, poverty...

The list goes on and on.

This world is a bargain sale of despair.

And it seems that despair is called "despair" precisely because there is nothing we can do about it.

But I can't accept that.

If we can't overcome despair, then what is the meaning of our existence, of us humans being born?

That's why I live today, giving the middle finger to despair.

-

About a week has passed since the "sinful life" as a Fairytale Keeper began.

I thought the day when I would keep the secret and return to where I came from was not far off, but...

Darius: I'm so happy that you're holding a welcome party for us so soon after we arrived in England.

That night, a dinner party was held under the name of a welcome party...

Victoria's direct royal order organization "Crown" and the German Emperor's direct organization "Vogel."

The members of both organizations were gathered in one place.

It was only a few hours ago that they, Vogel, had arrived from Germany.

-

*flashback*

Victor: I hear Vogel is a research organization that advocates for cursed social contributions.

Victor: They will be staying in this palace for a few months as goodwill ambassadors.

Darius: "A better society through the power of curses." That is our motto.

*flashback over*

-

(They are friendly visitors and shouldn't be people to be wary of.)

But there was something that kept bothering me.

Harrison, who has the ability to see through lies, said, "Those guys are lying."

(It's better not to let my guard down until we know their true identity.)

Darius, who seems to be the leader of the three of them, the director of "Vogel," is sitting next to William and enjoying a conversation in high spirits.

(It seems like it would be better for me to keep a low profile and stay quiet.)

The table is filled with dishes that Victor has prepared with great skill.

(Even though it looks so delicious... I'm so nervous that I can't swallow my food.)

Nica: Hey, hey, robin. You're not eating at all. Well then, I'll pierce this cherry for you.

Ring: Nica, you'll get a stomachache if you eat food from a stranger you don't know.

Nica: What's with my brother, seriously cautioning me?

Nica: This is just an excuse to show that I want to be friends with you. Ring is so clueless.

Ring: ...Clueless.

I can't help but compare the twins, who have similar features, hair color, and eyes.

Kate: You're Nica and Ring... right?

Nica: Oh, you remembered our names? We also remember yours, Kate.

Nica: We just met today, but I feel like we could become good friends, don't you?

Nica: Hey, show us around the palace. Let's sneak out of here.

He wraps his arms around my waist with a practiced gesture and whispers in my ear.

(Wha...?)

As I tense up, someone pulls my arm from the other side.

Roger: Sorry to interrupt your flirting, but I have a prior engagement with Kate.

Kate: Roger!

Roger: Our Queen's Aide is the best at giving tours of the palace. He'll gladly show you around.

Roger: Victor, can I ask you to give the Vogel guests a tour of the palace?

Victor: Ah, of course! This Victor will show you every nook and cranny.

Nica: ..................

Nica looks at Victor with narrowed eyes, then gives a bright smile.

Nica: Vielen Dank.

William: Well then, it's time to call it a night, although it's a shame to part ways.

Darius: Yes, Lord Rex. We at Vogel want to be friends with Crown, like family.

Darius: If you have any troubles, please feel free to rely on us.

-

––This is a room inside the palace.

In the luxurious room prepared for Vogel, Darius sat deeply in a chair and smiled.

Darius: How was it, the social gathering with Crown?

Nica: It was great, I was trying to seduce the robin when the hunter interrupted me.

Darius: Hunter? Ah, you mean Roger Barel, the "Betrayal Hunter."

Darius: Hehe, how violent to snatch Little Red Riding Hood from the side.

Ring: ...So, Roger Barel and she... are they dating?

Nica: No, they're not. But it seems that Crown cherishes the robin very much.

Darius: Gathering information is important.

Darius: It will eventually become a valuable resource for achieving our ambitions.

Darius: Ring, Nica, continue gathering information about Crown and the robin, who might be useful.

Nica: Verstanden. / Ring: ...Understood.

Darius: ...Roger Barel. A former doctor who shows an abnormal obsession with "cursed ones," huh?

Darius: Is he worthy of being my "family"? -

After the social gathering ended, people started leaving the guest room one by one.

Before I knew it, Roger's figure had also disappeared...

(Oh, huh?)

I hurriedly went out into the hallway and saw his broad back.

Kate: Um, Roger, about the prior engagement you mentioned earlier...?

When I called out to him, his gaze turned back in the empty hallway.

Roger: You looked obviously troubled, was I mistaken?

--CHOICES--

Did you help me?

I was really in trouble.

You weren't mistaken.

-------------

Kate: Did you help me...?

Roger: Did you not need a helping hand?

Roger: I'm sorry for ruining your chance for a one-night stand with a foreigner.

Kate: What are you talking about? Your imagination is running wild!

As I thanked him again, a mischievous look appeared on his face.

Roger: Oh yeah, I didn't say it was for free, you know? I need to get paid for helping you.

(Huh?)

Roger: What, I was thinking of going to the pub in town with Ellis and Jude. You're coming too.

Kate: Eh, right now? Whoa... wait a minute, Roger!

-

Roger: Ah~~ Delicious. The first sip of beer is like a shot of blood to the veins.

Ellis: Hehe, you say that every time, Roger.

Jude: That's not somethin' a doctor should say. Well, it can't be helped, since yer a quack.

(I ended up being brought to the pub before I knew it.)

(I noticed it before, but Roger is a bit... no, maybe quite forceful.)

On top of that, it's a mystery why Jude, who seems like he would refuse this kind of invitation, is sitting there with a dissatisfied look on his face.

Red-haired Clerk: Here you go. Fish and chips, bangers and mash, and...

Jude: How much did ya order? You ate a lot atta' social gatherin'.

Roger: When I nibble on fancy food bit by bit, I don't feel like I've eaten anything.

Ellis: Are you full, Jude? I can still eat more.

Jude: Are ya guys growin' children?

The three of them are talking like close friends...

Kate: Hehe...

I can't help but smile, and Roger narrows his eyes with a beer in one hand.

Roger: Huh, you can laugh like that after all.

Kate: Huh?

Roger: Haven't you noticed that you haven't laughed once since you became a Fairytale Keeper?

(Oh... huh? Ah, but it's true, I haven't... for the past week...)

Roger: You don't eat much. Even when you do, you look like you're chewing sand.

Roger: Maybe... or rather, did you not even notice it yourself?

(To keep the secret for a month as a Fairytale Keeper, to write down the evil in front of me.)

(In addition to that... the sudden appearance of Vogel.)

I was so focused on getting through all of that, I gradually stopped laughing, eating, and doing the normal things that are part of living.

Like a plant slowly withering away.

Roger: I understand that you have things to think about, things to worry about, and anxieties.

Roger: But that's when you need to take care of yourself. Eat, sleep, play, laugh, and recharge.

Roger: If you don't, you'll easily be swallowed by despair in this darkness, lil' lady.

Kate: ...!

Roger's words pierce my heart.

(That's right, I... why was I being so weak?)

No matter how much I struggle, the anxiety will never disappear until I safely escape from this darkness.

I know that... but.

(The only one who can truly protect me is me.)

(I will never lose. ...I must not lose.)

Kate: ...You're right. There's no time to be weak, no time to despair.

As if to shake off my past self... I stab the steaming aged meat in front of me with a fork and stuff my mouth full of it.

Kate: Mmm... delicious.

(...It feels like I'm tasting food properly for the first time in a while.)

(The fact that food tastes good, that I'm alive, is a very happy thing.)

Roger: ..........

Jude: Hey, yer eatin' the firs' bite without any hesitation.

Kate: Ah, I'm sorry! I got carried away.

Ellis: It's okay, Kate. This rock salt potato is also recommended, please try it.

Kate: Wow, this is delicious too! It goes well with the alcohol.

Roger: Oh, you're a bold drinker, lil' lady. Barman! Two more beers, please.

Barman: Alright, two large mugs of beer, coming right up!

The golden beer and the food are delicious, and the sound of people's laughter reaches my ears clearly tonight.

(...Ah, this is fun. I feel like I'm taking deep breaths for the first time in a while.)

(It was forceful, but I'm glad I accepted Roger's invitation...)

I don't know to what extent Roger's actions are calculated and to what extent they are out of kindness.

But it's an absolute fact that I was saved by his forceful actions tonight.

(Maybe Roger is a sensible and mature older brother after all.)

While thinking such things easily, I ended up drinking one after another, letting myself be carried away...

-

––I woke up on a fluffy bed.

(Huh... I was drinking at the pub last night, and then...)

In the lingering lethargy and drowsiness, I groped for the warm linen...

Kate: Hmm...? ...??

(Wha... I'm not wearing anything!?)

I hurriedly wrap myself in the linen, only my face peeking out.

...And then, I notice something familiar lying next to the pillow.

(...Glasses?)

The black-rimmed, intellectual-looking frames are definitely in my memory.

(These glasses, could they be...?)

The moment I pick them up and gasp, the bed creaks with a squeak-–.

Roger: Hey, glasses aren't toys... Here, give them back.

The glasses in my hand are snatched away, and when I look up, I see Roger, half-naked, leaning over me.

Kate: ...Wh-Why are you here, Roger...?

As I open my eyes wide, he gives a wry smile as if to say, "You're asking that now?"

Roger: After that, you passed out drunk, and I carried you back on my back.

Roger: And I brought you here, but you wouldn't let go of me.

His words imply that I was clinging to him, and regardless of the truth, my cheeks heat up.

(W-Wait, I was holding on to Roger?)

(And then... or rather, more importantly than that...)

My eyes wander busily over his thick chest and abs, exposed without reservation.

(T-This is too stimulating...)

(I don't know where to look.)

Not to mention his bare chest.

His strong arms peeking out from his shirt, the raised lines of his body from his thick neck to his broad shoulders, his toned waist.

(But he's as beautiful as a sculpture...)

Before I knew it, my eyes were tracing his supple skin.

His well-developed muscles easily betray his intellectual features, and the gap alone is enough to make me dizzy.

Roger: ...Not bad, being looked at with those eyes.

Kate: Eh!?

Roger gives a devilishly wicked smile.

It seems I was unconsciously staring at his body, and my cheeks flushed even more with embarrassment.

Kate: I-I'm sorry...

Roger: It's nothing, it's cute compared to yesterday.

Kate: Did I do something... yesterday?

Roger: "Something," huh?

Roger gently closes the distance and whispers, as if to drive the point home.

Roger: ...Ah, last night was quite hot, wasn't it, lil' lady?

(W-Wait... me, with Roger?)

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Roger Barel - Chapter 2

If you’d like to support my translations, feel free to buy me a coffee here! :)

[anotherbluesunday]

✨Teaser: In Technicolor✨

So some of you may know this, but my next fic that was set to release was originally called “Ballad of a Teenage Dream” and was a Wednesday x Skam crossover that showcased all the highs and lows of high school and the growing pains that come with the transition from teenager to young adult.

Well that story has been reworked, overhauled, and given new life.

I present to you my high school dramady, In Technicolor.

Set in Los Angeles, California, the story follows two groups of friends as their worlds collide. A modern spin on the social dynamics of Romeo and Juliet where two factions are warring but cannot remember why or why their bitter rivalry is so important to their identity, In Technicolor highlights the feuding of the wealthy and the everyday citizens to show the consequences that come from stripping culture and history from the city streets in the name of gentrification. It explores the complex relationships of families on either side of the fence to reveal that wealth does not always bring happiness. And finally, at the center of it all, the complicated friendships and relationships of the members of these two groups as they meld into one.

For our East LA champions, we follow the Addams siblings and their mismatched group of skateboarders, graffiti artists, musicians, and street racers.

For our Palisades elite, we focus on the Blossoms and Galpin’s—two families from extreme wealth that are not entirely honest about what they show the world.

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Important Story Information: If the visuals were not enough to give it away, this story will be a crossover with a different fandom. Entering the mix is the ensemble from Riverdale. I do want to caution readers now, there will be crossover pairings, character retcon on both sides, ageing up, ageing down, and changes to character personalities.

One such example is that Wednesday isn’t allergic to color and isn’t entirely unapproachable. She smiles and laughs but only when around those she trusts like her family and friends. Pugsley has been aged up and is Wednesday’s twin brother. My face claim for this version of Pugsley is Xolo Mariduẽna and I have made Pugsley (who also will be going by “Lee”) more confident and hotheaded with some snark and sass. Second to that, my face claim for Pubert “Bertie” Addams is Malachi Barton and Pubert/Bertie will be one year younger than his siblings—the twins Wednesday and Pugsley age 17 and in their senior year and Bertie age 16 entering his junior year.

On the Riverdale side of the crossover, I have made certain changes that I don’t want to reveal just yet for Archie’s character. That surprise will come soon enough because next I will be posting moodboards for specific couples that will be at the center of this story. But one change I will discuss now to get it out there to avoid hate comments and harassment is the issue of is Cheryl bi or is she a lesbian. In my story, she’s bi and will be paired with a male lead. I understand that the actress for her character went back and forth on Cheryl’s orientation but, to me, Cheryl reads like a chaotic bisexual that goes back and forth on her identity because being bi is confusing enough. And as someone who is bi, I would like to see more representation and fiction for people like myself because fandoms are so quick to erase bisexuality and pansexuality and criticize us when we speak up about it. So in this story, Cheryl is bi and she has broken up with her most recent girlfriend before meeting her next partner who is a man. And it’s fine.

If this upsets you, just swipe off of this post. Don’t leave mean comments or take digs at me because I’m not for any of this fandom infighting nonsense. It’s fiction and these characters can be whatever you want them to be in your stories.

However, if you don’t mind Cheryl liking both men and women, you don’t have an opinion either way, or your curious to see how this’ll pan out, stay tuned. I’d love to share this story with you. All are welcome so long as things stay civil and breezy.

So with that, I look forward to updating with the couple’s board and then the first chapter titlecard along with the chapter itself. Until then, stay lovely and stay groovy.💜